3.2ff.2L3. 

LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

PRINCETON,   N.  J. 

Presented  by 

Mi 

Division fr:.../..>  ■    ^'  I  L  C   , 

Section 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/evangelisticcyclOOhall 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 
Rev.  G.  B.  F.  HALLOCK,  d.d. 


THE    EVANGELISTIC 
CYCLOPEDIA 

A  NEW  CENTURY  HANDBOOK 
OF  EVANGELISM 


BY    / 
Reverend  G.  B.  F.  HALLOCK,  d.d. 

EDITOR  OF  "THE  EXPOSITOR" 

Author  of  "The  Homiletic  Year"  "Christ  in  the  Home"  "Journeying  in 
the  Land  Where  Jesus  Lived"  "The  Teaching  of  Jesus  Concern- 
ing the  Christian  Life"  "Beauty  in  God}s  Word"  etc. 


WITH  INTRODUCTION  BY 

Rev.  JOSEPH  A.  VANCE,  d.d.,  ll.d. 

PASTOR    FIRST   PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH 
DETROIT,    MICHIGAN 


NEW  S£gJP  YORK 
GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,    1922 
BY  GEORGE   H.    DORAN   COMPANY 


THE  EVANGELISTIC   CYCLOPEDIA.     II 


PRINTED   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES    OF   AMERICA 


INTRODUCTION 

This  Cyclopedia  or  Handbook  on  Evangelism,  with  the  ten  notable 
evangelistic  sermons  appended,  will  be  both  a  rich  storehouse  of 
material  and  a  great  inspiration  to  many  a  preacher,  and  the  Church 
owes  a  great  obligation  to  its  gifted  and  industrious  author. 

Gerard  Benjamin  Fleet  Hallock  has  been  pouring  forth  a  great 
wealth  of  homiletic  material  during  the  past  twenty  years  as  Assistant 
Editor  of  "The  Expositor,"  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  of  which  magazine 
he  is  now  Editor.  Rarely  gifted  by  nature  for  such  a  task,  his 
position  as  one  of  the  pastors  of  the  great  Brick  Presbyterian  Church, 
at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  has  afforded  him  most  valuable  opportunities 
for  prosecuting  his  work,  and  these  opportunities  he  has  used  with 
abundant  industry. 

In  a  home  blessed  with  rare  parental  piety,  he  learned  the  homiletic 
habit  with  his  mother's  earliest  interpretations  to  him  of  both  nature 
and  Providence,  the  fruit  of  which  has  been  evident  in  the  maturing 
lives  of  other  children  also.  His  work  at  Princeton  University, 
where  he  took  his  A.B.  in  1882,  and  at  Princeton  Seminary,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1885,  followed  by  post-graduate  work  under 
President  McCosh,  laid  the  foundations  for  a  corner  in  homiletic 
work  of  rare  excellence.  In  this  Handbook  on  Evangelism  he  has 
without  doubt  made  his  most  valuable  contribution. 

This  work  is  also  most  timely.  Without  depreciating  in  any  way 
the  splendid  work  of  our  professional  evangelists,  the  church  is  com- 
ing to  see  that  best  of  all  is  pastoral  evangelism ;  and  that  becoming 
an  evangelistic  pastor  is  within  the  reach  of  every  pastor  who  is 
willing  to  pay  the  price.  It  is  an  art,  however,  which  must  be  ac- 
quired, as  truly  as  a  state  of  impassioned  fervor  for  men's  salvation. 

Most  heartily  can  this  work  of  Dr.  Hallock  be  commended  for 
both  of  these  ends.  It  has  not  only  "feathers  for  arrows,"  but  it 
has,  out  of  Dr.  Hallock's  own  soul,  that  which  will  put  a  man  on 
his  knees  pleading  for  souls  as  John  Knox  pleaded  for  Scotland, 
and  kindle  a  hot  heart  in  both  preacher  and  hearer  with  the  fires 
of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Joseph  A.  Vance. 

First  Presbyterian  Church, 
Detroit,  Mich. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Five  Hundred  Revival  Texts  and  Themes     .       .       .       .  13 

II 

Four  Hundred  and  Fifty  Evangelistic  Illustrations      .        .  25 

III 

Two  Hundred  Evangelistic  Outlines  and  Sketches        .       .  125 

IV 

The  Need  of  Evangelism 204 

Urgent  Need  of  Revival 204 

The  Revival  We  Need 204 

Obstacles  to  Revivals 205 

Do  I  Want  a  Revival? 206 

Planning  for  a  Revival 206 

Tact  in  a  Revival 207 

Prayer  for  Revival 207 

Evangelism  and  the  Bible 208 

Is  the  Fire  Going  Out? 210 

The  Cross  in  Modern  Life 211 

Revival  Under  Nehemiah 212 

V 

Some  Methods  in  Evangelism 214 

A  New  Every  Member  Canvass 214 

A  Suggestion 216 

Form  Prayer  Circles 216 

Enlisting  Helpers 216 

Methods  in  Revival  Work 217 

Commit  'Em 220 

Revival  Methods 220 

Evangelistic  Program  for  Churches 221 

vii 


via  CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Some  Methods  in  Evangelism  [Continued] 

Soul  Re-Winning 222 

"Win  One"  Band        ........ !  224 

Pre-Revival  Work 224 

Leading  Souls  to  Decision 225 

Suggestive  Form  of  Membership  Application  .       .        .  226 

Care  and  Culture  of  Converts 227 

The  Worker 228 

The  Inquirer 228 

VI 

Lenten  Evangelism 230 

Climax  at  Easter  Communion 230 

Revival  Essentials 231 

The  Lenten  Message 232 

The  Need 233 

Critical  Hours  in  Religion 233 

Lenten  Preparatory  Class — Lessons 235 

VII 

Decision  Day 243 

Decision  Day  Is  Flood-tide 244 

In  the  Lenten  Season 244 

Making  Decision  Day  a  Success 244 

The  Waiting  Harvest 245 

An  Earnest  Pastor 245 

The  Most  Available  Souls 246 

Direct  and  Personal 246 

Bible  Decision  Days 246 

Sowing  and  Never  Reaping 247 

Two  Cautions 248 

How  Decision  Day  May  Be  a  Failure      ....  248 

The  Pastor's  Privilege 248 

The  Natural  Time  for  Decision 248 

Planning  for  Decision  Day 249 

Little  Girl's  Prayers 249 

Too  "Choicy"  in  Salvation 250 

The  Value  of  Decision  Day 250 

Some  Real  Decisions  for  Christ 251 

The  Great  Day     .  252 

Teacher's  Pledge  of  Prayer  and  Personal  Work    .        .  252 

Decision  Day  a  Good  Method 253 

Sample  Decision  Day  Cards 253 

Calling  Classes  on  Decision  Day 257 


CONTENTS  ix 


PAGE 


Decision  Day  [Continued] 

After  Decision  Day — What? 257 

Organize  a  Communion  Class 258 

The  Pastor's  Place  in  Results 259 

Our  Children  Called 259 

A  Teacher's  Prayer 259 

The  First  Thing 260 

Two  Methods 260 

Divine  Love 261 

Boys  of  the  Bible 261 

Use  of  a  Boy 262 

Little  Ships 262 

Why  a  Boy  Should  Be  a  Christian 262 

VIII 

Pastoral  Evangelism 264 

Having  a  Revival 264 

Two  Pastors 264 

The  Cost  of  a  Revival 265 

The  Pastor's  Relation  to  the  Revival 266 

How  to  Win  Souls 267 

Special  Evangelistic  Meetings 267 

Fishers  of  Men 268 

Revival  Preaching 270 

Pastor's  Communion  Class — Lessons       ....  272 

After  the  Revival 278 

IX 

Vocational  Evangelism 281 

Real  Value  of  An  Evangelist 281 

The  Vocational  Evangelist 281 

The  Preaching  that  Attracts 283 

Evangelists 284 

X 

Ten  Great  Revival  Sermons 287 

1.  One  God  and  One  Mediator 287 

By  Christmas  Evans 

2.  Ye  Will  Not  Come  to  Me 294 

By  Rev.  Robert  Murray  McCheyne 

3.  Sin  Laid  On  Jesus ■    .        .300 

By  Rev.  Charles  H.  Spurge  on 


x  CONTENTS 

Page 

Ten  Great  Revival  Sermons  [Continued] 

4.  Faith 304 

By  Rev.  A.  B.  Earle,  D.D. 

5.  The  Great  Salvation    .......        .     309 

By  Rev.  T.  De  Witt  Talmage,  D.D. 

6.  Repentance  and  Restitution 316 

By  Dwight  L.  Moody 

7.  The  Bow  in  the  Clouds 324 

By  Rev.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  D.D. 

8.  Living  Love 329 

By  Rev.  John  Robertson,  D.D. 

9.  The  Hesitating  Soul 338 

By  Rev.  David  James  Burr  ell,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

10.   Awake!     Arise! 343 

By  Rev.  John  McNeill,  D.D. 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


THE  EVANGELISTIC 
CYCLOPEDIA 

I 
FIVE  HUNDRED  EVANGELISTIC  TEXTS  AND  THEMES 

Now  is  the  time  to  stress  evangelism.  The  aim  of  the  whole 
church  enterprise  is  spiritual.  This  comes  first.  It  is  to  bring  the 
Gospel  urgently  to  the  attention  of  all  men  everywhere,  in  the  com- 
munity, in  the  homeland,  in  the  nations  across  the  seas.  A  post-war 
revival  would  do  more  than  anything  else  to  restore  normal  feelings, 
soberness  of  mind  and  general  well-being.  At  the  same  time  it 
would  serve  as  a  balm  of  healing  for  the  wounds  and  sorrows  caused 
by  the  war.  A  general  turning  to  Christ  would  greatly  promote 
brotherhood  and  help  to  settle  the  political  and  industrial  questions 
that  so  greatly  disturb  at  present. 

The  fact  is  that  intensified  evangelistic  work  is  the  greatest  need 
of  the  Church  today.  The  minister  who  neglects  to  sound  the  evan- 
gelistic note,  who  fails  to  press  home  with  loving  zeal  the  plea  of  the 
Gospel  upon  the  hearts  of  his  hearers,  or  who  does  not  seek  to  bring 
his  hearers  to  a  definite  decision  for  Christ,  is  missing  the  greatest 
opportunity  that  has  ever  come  to  him. 

How  full  are  the  Scriptures  of  this  evangelistic  appeal — directly, 
indirectly.  There  is  "The  Gospel  Now"  in  II  Cor.  6 : 2.  The 
greatest  word  in  the  Bible  is  God ;  the  sweetest  Love ;  the  tenderest 
Come;  the  longest  Eternity,  and  the  shortest  Now.  Yet  what  mo- 
mentous issues  depend  upon  the  proper  use  of  the  present  moment. 
Now  or  never ! 

There  is  "The  Appealing  Plight  of  a  Friendless  Soul,"  as  sug- 
gested in  John  5 :  7.  "Sir,  I  have  no  man,  when  the  water  is  trou- 
bled, to  put  me  into  the  pool."  A  helpless  man  near  a  remedy! 
Is  there  anything  more  sad,  in  such  a  case,  spiritually,  than  to  have 
no  one  to  help?  Anything  more  distressing?  Are  Christians 
generally  really  helping  others? 

Are  we  all  aware  of  The  Daily  Things  in  the  Early  Church? 
Study  Acts  2 :  47.  Sinners  daily  saved.  Churches  daily  multiplied. 
(Acts  16:5).     Scriptures  daily  searched  (Acts  16:11). 

Some  one  may  ask,  "What  is  a  Christian?"    Possibly  he  has  just 

13 


14  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

read  Acts  1 1 :  26,  "The  disciples  were  called  Christians  first  at 
Antioch."  How  clear  and  helpful  such  answers  as  these.  He  is  in 
knowledge  a  disciple.  In  character  a  saint.  In  influence  a  light. 
In  conflict  a  soldier.  In  communion  a  friend.  In  progress  a  pil- 
grim.   In  relationship  a  child.    In  expectation  an  heir. 

Why  decide  to  become  a  Christian  now  ?  "While  they  went  away 
to  buy,  the  bridegroom  came ;  and  they  that  were  ready  went  in  with 
him  to  the  marriage  feast;  and  the  door  was  shut"  (Matt.  25 :  10). 

Our  Warrant  for  Coming  to  Christ  (Rev.  2:17):  "Whosoever 
will."  Invited  to  come.  Entreated  to  come.  Commanded  to  come. 
Assured  of  salvation  if  they  come. 

That  Personal  Call  (John  11:28):  "The  Master  is  come  and 
calleth  for  thee." 

The  Lord's  Joy  in  Saving  Sinners:  As  the  shepherd's  over  his 
sheep  (Luke  5:7):  As  the  buyer's  over  his  treasure  (Matt.  13 :  44)  : 
As  the  bridegroom's  over  his  bride  (Isa.  62:5):  As  the  reaper's 
over  his  sheaves  (Psalm  126:6). 

The  kind  of  revival  needed  is  a  revival  that  begins  personally  in 
the  hearts  of  pastors  and  members  of  the  church;  a  revival  of 
thoughtful,  honest,  prayerful  reading  of  the  Bible;  a  revival  that 
will  rebuild  the  broken-down  family  altars  and  keep  burning  thereon 
the  fire  of  daily,  devout  worship ;  a  revival  that  will  make  all  mem- 
bers of  the  church  profoundly  solicitous  for  the  salvation  of  their 
neighbors;  a  revival  that  will  cause  all  members  of  the  church  to 
labor  personally  with  their  neighbors  to  bring  them  to  Christ;  a 
revival  that  will  enable  every  church  member  to  say  from  the  heart, 
"I  was  glad  when  they  said  unto  me,  Let  us  go  up  to  the  house  of 
the  Lord" ;  a  revival  that  will  make  it  a  pleasure  to  the  members  to 
live  right  up  to  the  spirit  of  the  vows  they  took  upon  themselves 
when  they  joined  the  Church. 

Revival  means  "life  again."  Oh,  how  God  longs  for  it  every- 
where !  He  has  paid  the  price  for  it.  Let  us  take  it  from  his  out- 
stretched hands.  Are  we  really  desiring  it?  "O  Lord,  send  us  a 
revival,  and  begin  with  me."    Is  that  our  prayer? 

Here  are  some  warning  Scripture  verses:  "And  he  said,  To- 
morrow" (Exodus  8:10).  "The  fool  foldeth  his  hands  together" 
(Eccl.  4:5).  "How  long  are  ye  slack  to  go  in  and  possess  the 
land?"  (Josh.  18:  3).  "It  is  time  to  seek  the  Lord"  (Hosea  10: 12). 
"Remember  now  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth"  (Eccl.  12 : 1). 
"Lord,  I  will  follow  thee,  but—,"  (Luke  9:61).  "Behold,  now  is 
the  accepted  time;  behold  now  is  the  day  of  salvation"  (II  Cor. 
6:2). 

It  is  an  exceedingly  dangerous  thing  to  trifle  with  the  call  of 
Christ  and  the  invitations  of  his  Word  and  Spirit.  The  beginning 
of  the  Christian  life  is  not  so  much  an  act  of  the  emotions  as  of  the 
will,  and  if  the  will  has  been  trifled  with  so  that  it  can  not  act  de- 


FIVE  HUNDRED  TEXTS  AND  THEMES 


15 


cidedly  and  promptly  in  cases  of  emergency,  it  is  like  an  important 
cog  or  brake  in  a  piece  of  machinery  that  will  not  act  and  that 
dooms  the  whole  machinery  to  ruin. 

Let  no  one  fear  to  begin  the  Christian  life.  You  have  unlimited 
backing.  God  never  gives  a  command  without  giving  with  it  the 
power  to  obey.  A  Scotch  lord  gave  his  servant,  Donald,  a  little 
farm.  He  said,  "Donald,  I  am  going  to  give  you  that  farm  that  you 
may  work  it  for  yourself,  and  spend  the  rest  of  your  days  on  your 
own  property."  Donald  replied,  "It  is  nae  gude  to  gie  me  the  farm ; 
I  have  nae  capital  to  stock  it."  His  lordship  looked  at  him,  and 
said,  "I  think  I  can  manage  to  stock  it  also."  "Oh,  well,"  said 
Donald,  "if  it's  you  and  me  for  it,  I  think  we  will  manage." 

Begin.  Grace  will  be  given.  "Kept  by  the  power  of  God."  "As 
thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be."  Let  such  as  these  be  the  ap- 
peals.   Results  are  sure  to  come. 

The  following  are  some  additional  and  appropriate  texts  and 
themes  for  evangelistic  preaching. 


An  Open  Confession:  "I  will  de- 
clare what  he  hath  done  for  my 
soul."    Ps.  66:16. 

The  Joy  of  Religion:  "Rejoice 
evermore."     1  Thess.  5  :  16. 

The  Feast  Prepared:  "Come  for 
all  things  are  now  ready."  Luke 
14:17. 

Now  is  the  Accepted  Time:  2  Cor. 
6 : 2.  Now  is  God's  time.  Now  is 
the  right  time.  Now  is  the  best  time. 
Now  is  the  only  time. 

The  Heart  Asked  For:  "My  son, 
give  me  thine  heart."     Prov.  23 :  26. 

Prayer  a  Good  Sign:  "Behold  he 
prayeth."    Acts  9:21. 

A  Good  Resolution:  "I  will  arise 
and  go  to  my  father."    Luke  15 :  18. 

Acquaintance  With  God:  "Ac- 
quaint now  thyself  with  him  and  be 
at  peace ;  thereby  good  shall  come  to 
thee."    Job  22:21. 

God's  Quiet  Work:  "Whose  heart 
the  Lord  opened."     Acts  16 :  14. 

Winning  Others  to  Christ:  Acts 
16:9-15. 

Danger  of  Delay:  Heb.  2: 1-14. 

Halting  Souls:  1  Kings  18:20, 
21. 

A  Friendless  Soul:  "Sir,  I  have 
no  man,  when  the  water  is  troubled, 
to  put  me  into  the  pool." — John  5 : 7. 
A  helpless  man  near  a  remedy !  _  Is 
there  anything  more  sad?  Anything 
more  distressing? 

Christ  at  the  Door:  "Behold  I 
stand  at  the  door  and  knock,"  etc. 
Rev.  3 :  20. 


God's  First  Things:  "Seek  ye  first 
the  kingdom   of  God."    Matt.   6:33. 

Christ  Seeking  Sinners:  Luke  19: 
10. 

The  Soul  Neglected:  "As  thy 
servant  was  busy  here  and  there,  he 
was  gone."    1  Kings  20:40. 

The  Devil's  Own:  "Ye  are  of  your 
father  the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of 
your  father  it  is  your  will  to 
do.  .  .  ."    John  8:44. 

The  Lord's  Own:  "Ye  are  not 
your  own;  for  ye  were  bought  with 
a  price:  glorify  God  therefore  in 
your  body."     1   Cor.  6 :  19-20. 

What  Must  I  Do  to  Be  Saved? 
".  .  .  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved? 
And  they  said,  Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved,  and 
thy  house."    Acts  16:30-31. 

What  Must  I  Do  to  Be  Lost? 
"How  shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect 
so  great  salvation?  which  having  at 
the  first  been  spoken  through  the 
Lord,  was  confirmed  unto  us  by  them 
that  heard."     Heb.  2 :  3. 

Christ  and  the  Crowd:  "But  when 
he  saw  the  multitudes,  he  was  moved 
with  compassion  for  them,  because 
they  were  distressed  and  scattered, 
as  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd." 
Matt.  9 :  36. 

The  Crowded-out  Christ:  "And 
she  brought  forth  her  first-born  son ; 
and  she  wrapped  him  in  swaddling 
clothes,  and  laid  him  in  a  manger, 
because  there  was  no  room  for  them 
in  the  inn."    Luke  2 : 7. 


i6 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


What  Men  Are  Thinking  About 
God:  "What  is  the  Almighty,  that 
we  should  serve  him?  And  what 
profit  should  we  have,  if  we  pray 
unto  him?"     Luke  2:7. 

What  God  Thinks  of  Men:  "For 
my  people  have  committed  two  evils ; 
they  have  forsaken  me,  the  fountain 
of  living  waters,  and  hewed  them 
out  cisterns,  broken  cisterns,  that  can 
hold  no  water."    Jer.  2 :  13. 

The  City  Thai  Voted  Jesus  Out: 
•  "And  behold,  all  the  city  came  out  to 
meet  Jesus :  and  when  they  saw  him, 
they  besought  him  that  he  would  de- 
part from  their  borders."  Matt.  8 :  34. 
The  City  That  Voted  Jesus  In: 
"And  Philip  went  down  to  the  city 
of  Samaria,  and  proclaimed  unto 
them  the  Christ.  And  the  multitudes 
gave  heed  with  one  accord  unto  the 
things  that  were  spoken  by  Philip, 
when  they  heard,  and  saw  the  signs 
which  he  did."    Acts  8  :  5-6. 

The  Great  Acceptance:  "But  as 
many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave 
he  the  right  to  become  children  of 
God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  his 
name."    John  1 :  12. 

The  Great  Refusal:  "But  when  the 
young  man  heard  the  saying,  he  went 
away  sorrowful ;  for  he  was  one  that 
had  great  possessions."  Matt.  19 :  22. 
The  Love  of  God:  "For  God  so 
loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever 
believeth  on  him  should  not  perish, 
but  have  eternal  life."  John  3 :  16. 
The  Hates  of  God:  "There  are 
six  things  which  Jehovah  hateth; 
yea,  seven  which  are  an  abomination 
unto  him."     Prov.  6:61. 

The  First  Christians:  "The  dis- 
ciples were  called  Christians  first  in 
Antioch."    Acts  11:26. 

The  Christians  of  To-day:  "Nev- 
ertheless, when  the  Son  of  man 
cometh,  shall  he  find  faith  on  the 
earth?"    Luke  18:8. 

The  Passover:    Ex.   12:21-23. 
Christ  the  Fulfillment  of  the  Law: 
Ex    20 : 4. 
Let  Me  Alone:  Ex.  32:7-14. 
The  Ribband  of  Blue:    Num.   15: 
38,  39. 

Christ  the  Fulfillment  of  the  Law: 
Num.  21 :8. 

Lifting  Up  the  Brazen  Serpent: 
Num.  21 : 9. 

The  Great  Arbitration  Case:  Job 
9:  33. 

Relief  Afforded  by  Confession: 
Ps.  32:1-5. 


Our    Strength     Commanded:     P.< 
68 :  28. 

Struggling   and   Seeking:    Ps.   34 
10. 

Your  Personal  Salvation:  Ps.  lW 
41. 

The  Lord  the  Liberator:  Ps.  14 
7. 

The  Outpoured  Spirit:  Isa.  32 

Lost,  Stolen  or  Strayed — A  S-C 
Isa.  52:6. 

Sin  Laid  On  Jesus:  Isa.  53:6. 

True   Repentance:    Ezek.    18:  i 

The  Alternate  Attributes:   Na 
1:2. 

Three  Fires:  Matt.  3:11. 

First  Things  First:   Matt.  6:33 

Christ  Points  Out  to  Us  the  >C 
of  Life:  Matt.  7:13,  14. 

The  Blight  of  Unbelief:  Matt. 
58. 

Compassion  for  the  Cy.o  vd:  Ma 
15 :  32. 

Christ's  Teaching  About  Himsel] 
Matt.  16:15. 

Jesus  Only:  Matt.  17:8. 

The  Lost  Sheep:  Matt.  18:12. 

The  Divine  Christ:  Matt.  22:42. 

What  Think  Ye  of  Christ?  Ma1 
22 :  42. 

A  Great  Fall:  Matt.  26:59. 

Chrisfs  Way  of  Dealing  Wi 
Sin:  Mark  2:8-11. 

No  Room  for  Christ:   Luke  2: 

Decision  for  Christ:  Luke  9:5 
62. 

The  Rich  Fool:  Luke  12:16-21. 

Come!  Come!  Come!  "The  Sn'i 
and  the  bride  say,  Come."     Rev 

17.  .    '-.': 

The  Spirit  of  Adoption:     Ai.u  Ja 
cause   ye   are   sons,    God   hath   se 
forth  his  spirit  into  your  hearts,  c 
ing,  Abba  Father."    Gal.  4 :  6. 

Seeking  God:  "O  God,  thou  s 
my  God,  early  will  I  seek  the 
Ps.  63 : 1. 

Look,  and  Be  Saved:  "Look  ur 
me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends 
the  earth;  for  I  am  God,  and  the 
is  none  else."     Isa.  45  :  22. 

Christ  the  Friend  of  Sinners: 
friend    of    publicans    and    sinner 
Luke  7:34. 

Bring  Them  In:  "Go  out  and  co 
pel  them  to  come  in."    Luke  14 : 
Knowing    and    Doing:    "To    h 
that  knoweth  to  do  good  and  do< 
it  not,  it  is  sin."    Jas.  4 :  17. 

Christ  First,  and  Christ  Forex 
"Seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  I 
his      righteousness."       Matt.      6: 
Make   this  the   motto   of   your  li 


FIVE  HUNDRED  TEXTS  AND  THEMES 


17 


1.  Christ    first    in    your    intellectual 

life.    2.  Christ  first  in  your  emotional 

life.    3.  Christ  first  in  your  domestic 

life.     4.  Christ    first    in    your    social 

life.    5.  Christ  first  in  your  commer- 

■  Sal  life.    6.  Christ  first  in  your  civic 

Je.     7.  Christ   first   in  your   church 

e.     8.  Christ  first  in  your  personal 

Jgious     life.       Crown    him     Lord. 

Own  him  Lord  of  all. 

•  Personal  Work:  John  1 :  29.     1.  Re- 

nsibility    for    personal    work.     2. 

mintages    of    personal    work.      3. 

\l  ranees  to  personal  work.     4.  Op- 

^riities    for    personal    work.      5. 

^ment  for  personal  work.     Will 

^  11c  w  resolve  and  act  upon  Isa. 

.11  Sinners  May  Be  Saved:  John 
■  37.     1.  Saved  from  sin.    2.  Saved 

Christ.  3.  Saved  for  service. 
The  Way  to  Salvation:  Rom.  3: 
'.  i.  Ai7  are  sinners.  2.  God  loves 
pinners.  3.  Christ  died  for  sinners. 
4.  All  sinners  may  be  saved.  5.  All 
sin  must  be  confessed  and  forsaken. 
6.  Sinners  are  saved  by  Christ.  7. 
Salvation  may  be  had  now.  2  Cor. 
6:2;  Heb.  3:15;  Prov.  27:1. 

Poverty  to  Plenty:  Isa.  55:1-7. 
This  chapter  describes  the  pilgrim- 
age from  Poverty  to  Plenty  via  Par- 
don. 1.  The  land  of  spiritual  pov- 
erty. 2.  The  land  of  spiritual  plenty. 
3.  Pardon  the  way  from  poverty  to 
plenty. 

Become    a    Christian — Why    Not? 

Matt.  4:17. 

tjptyv  to  Help   the   Unsaved:   "Be- 

'  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh 

the  sin  of  the  world."    John 


Watchfulness  Enforced:  Luke  12: 
The    Strait    Gate:     Luke     13 :  23, 


All  Things  Are  Ready:  Luke  14: 


24. 

V 

jj,  The  Prodigal  Son:  Luke  15:11. 
tftOnly  Trust  Him:   Luke   17:12-14. 
The  Supreme  Prayer:  Luke  18:  10. 
.^Christ  Seeking  Sinners:  Luke   19: 

Jesus  Himself:  Luke  24:31. 
Natural   or  Spiritual  Birth:   John 

:~\<Whatsoever  He  Saith    Unto    You, 
P  It:  John  2:5. 
Ye    Must   Be   Bom   Again:    John 

The  Gift  of  God:  John  3:16,  17. 
Faith:  John  6:29. 
,•' Abundant  Life:  John  10:10. 


Vision  Before  Work:  John  21:1- 
14. 

The  Christian  Name:  Acts  11:26. 

Directions  to  Sinners:  Acts  16:30. 

What  Is  It  to  Believe  On  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ?  Acts  16:31. 

The    Unknown   God:   Acts   17:23. 

Repentance  and  Restitution:  Acts 
17:30. 

Now,  Now — Not  By-and-bv:  Acts 
24:25. 

Obeying  the  Heavenly  Vision: 
Acts  26 :  19. 

What  Is  It  to  Be  a  Christian? 
Acts  26 :  19. 

No  Difference:  Rom.  3:22. 

Justification:   Rom.  3:24. 

Law  and  Grace:  Rom.  5:20,  21. 

Dead  to  Sin:  Rom.  6:3,  4. 

The  Wages  of  Sin:   Rom.  6:23. 

Three  Fires:  1  Cor.  3:15. 

Called  from  Darkness  to  Light': 
1  Cor.  14 :  20. 

The  Light  of  God:  2  Cor.  4:6. 

The  Gracious  Invitation:  "Come, 
for  all  things  are  now  ready."  Luke 
14:17. 

The  Very  Best  Time:  "Behold, 
now  is  the  accepted  time,  behold, 
now  is  the  day  of  salvation."  2  Cor. 
6:2. 

What  Is  True  Penitence?  Ps. 
51.  1.  Repentance  is  sorrow.  2.  Re- 
pentance is  humility.  3.  It  involves 
confession.  4.  It  is  turning  from  sin. 
5.  It  leads  to  God. 

Incentives  to  Work:  1.  Without 
Christ  men  are  lost.  1  John  5:1. 
2.  Save  a  soul  from  death.  James 
5 :  20.  3.  Shine  as  the  stars.  Dan. 
12:3.     Crown  of  life.     Rev.  2:10. 

God's  Grace:  Ephe.  2:4-7.  God  is 
a  God — 1.  Rich  in  mercy.  2.  A  God 
of  great  leve.  3.  A  God  of  salva- 
tion. 4.  A  God  of  grace.  5.  A  God 
of  kindness. 

The  House  of  the  Wide-Open 
Door:  Isa.  55:1-13. 

Begin  Now:  2  Cor  6:1-10. 

An  Invitation  Slighted:  "But  they 
made  light  of  it."     Matt.  22:5. 

The   Two  Roads:   Matt.  7:13,  14. 

Almost  Persuaded:  Acts  21 :  28. 

Come  and  See:  John  1 :  39. 

Decision  for  God  Demanded: 
"Who  is  on  the  Lord's  side?"  Ex. 
32:26. 

The  New  Birth :  John  3 :  3. 

A  New  Man:  Col.  3:10. 

Sons  of  God  by  Faith:  GaL  3:24; 
John  1 :  12. 

Two  Roads  and  Two  Ends:.  Matt. 
6:13-27. 


i8 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


Three  Foundation  Facts:  1.  Ruin 
in  sins.  2.  Redemption  by  blood.  3. 
Regeneration  by  the  Spirit.  Rom. 
5:  12;  Heb.  9 :  22 ;  John  3  :  5. 

Sonship:  1.  The  origin  of  sonship, 
Gal.  3 :  26.  2.  The  spirit  of  sonship, 
Gal.  4:6,  7.  3.  The  place  of  son- 
ship,  John  7 :  35.  4.  The  manifesta- 
tion of  sonship,  Rom.  8 :  19-29. 

The  Source   of  Life:   John   5:26. 

1.  The  life  manifested,  1   John  1 : 4. 

2.  The    life    imparted,    John    10:10. 

3.  The  life  possessed,  John  3 :  36.  4. 
The  life  exhibited,  2  Cor.  4 :  10. 
5.  The  life  in  fruition,  Titus  1 : 2. 

Redemption:  Heb.  9:12.  1.  A  Re- 
deemer provided,  Job.  33 :  24.  2.  Re- 
demption by  blood,  Ephe.  1 : 7.  3. 
Redemption  by  power,  Ephe.  1 :  13, 
14.  4.  Redemption  from  iniquity, 
Titus  2 :  14.  The  word  means  to  buy 
back  and  set  free.  That  is  what 
Christ  does  for  us. 

The  Source  of  Power:  "But  ye 
shall  receive  power,  when  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  come  upon  you."    Acts  1 :  8. 

The  Self -Complacent  Church  Mem- 
ber: "What  doth  it  profit,  my  breth- 
ren, if  a  man  say  he  hath  faith,  but 
have  not  works?  can  that  faith  save 
him?"    Jas.  2:14. 

Why  Decide  Now?  "And  while 
they  went  away  to  buy,  the  bride- 
groom came,  and  they  that  were 
ready  went  in  with  him  to  the  mar- 
riage feast;  and  the  door  was  shut." 
Matt.  25 :  10. 

Is  It  Not  Too  Latef  "Him  that 
cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast 
out."    John  6:37. 

Can  I  Overcome  Fixed  Habits  of 
Sin?  "Come  now,  and  let  us  reason 
together,"  etc.     Isa.  1 :  18. 

Ought  We  to  Expect  Pentecosts? 
Acts  2 :  22-47.  Does  Pentecost  re- 
peat? History  repeats;  why  not  sa- 
cred history? 

Obtaining  Salvation:  Rom.  10:1- 
21. 

The  Wonderful:  "And  his  name 
shall  be  called  Wonderful."  Isa. 
9 : 6.  Old  Testament  names  are  full 
of  meaning,  and  generally  express 
some  feature  of  the  character,  life, 
or  service  of  the  persons  who ,  bear 
them.  There  is  a  Name  which  is 
above  every  name,  and  that  one  is 
Jesus.  But  there  is  another  very 
precious  name  of  his,  and  that  is 
Wonderful.  He  has — 1.  A  wonderful 
eye  to  see  us.  His  sympathy.  2.  A 
wonderful  ear  to  hear  us.  His  solici- 
tude.    3,  A  wonderful  heart  to  love 


us.  His  salvation.  4.  A  wonderful 
hand  to  hold  us.  His  strength.  5. 
A  wonderful  word  to  cheer  us.  His 
support.  6.  A  wonderful  spirit  to 
guide  us.  His  Spirit.  7.  A  wonder- 
ful home  in  which  to  receive  us.  His 
satisfaction. 

The  Seeker:  Jesus  is— 1.  The  See- 
ing One,  John  1:48.  2.  The  Seek- 
ing One,  Luke  19 :  10.  3.  The 
Searching  One,  John  4:19,  29.  4. 
The  Saving  One,  Luke  15:4,  7. 

The  Great  Word  Salvation:  Rom. 
1 :  16.  Salvation  is  threefold — 1. 
Past,  from  sin's  penalty.  2.  Present, 
from  sin's  power.  3.  Future,  from 
sin's  presence.  The  first  is  immedi- 
ate, second  by  Christ's  death.  The 
second  is  continuous,  by  Christ's  life. 
The  third  is  prospective  at  Christ's 
coming. 

Regeneration:  John  3:7.  1.  Its 
necessity,  John  3:7.  2.  Its  nature, 
John  3:5.  3.  Its  agent,  John  3:8. 
4.  Its  instrument,  1  Pet.  1 :  23.  5.  Its 
means,  1  John  5:1.  4.  Its  fruits,  1 
John  3:9.  7.  Its  manifestation,  1 
John  5:1,  2. 

Two  Causes  of  Unfruit fulness:  1. 
"They  had  no  root."  Matt.  13:6. 
Christless.  2.  "It  lacked  moisture." 
Luke  8 :  6.    Spiritless. 

The  Power  of  Love:  2  Cor.  5:  14. 

1.  Drawn  by  love,  Jer.  31 : 3.  2.  Sat- 
isfied by  love,  Sol.  Song  2:4.  3. 
Constrained  by  love,  2  Cor.  5 :  14. 
4.  Energized  by  love,  Phil.  1 :  7. 

Emblems  of  the  Holy  Spirit:  Acts 
2:2.     1.  John  3:8,  Wind,  to  awaken. 

2.  Ezekiel   37,    Breath,   to   give    life. 

3.  Ezekiel  47 : 2-13,  Water,  to  cleanse 
and  heal.  4.  Ps.  23  :  5,  1  John  2 :  20, 
Oil,  to  anoint  and  enlighten. 

The  Preciousness  of  Christ:  "Unto 
you  therefore  which  believe  he  is 
precious,"  1  Pet.  2:7.  To  believers 
Christ  is  precious  above  all  things 
else.  To  believers  everything  per- 
taining to  Christ  is  precious.  1.  His 
person.     2.  His   work.     3.  His   laws. 

4.  His  word.  5.  His  people.  6.  His 
fame. 

How  to  Get  Rich:  "Ask  what  I 
shall  give  thee."  1  Kings  3:1.  1. 
Asking  the  simplest  method.  2.  The 
divinely  appointed  method.  3.  The 
only  method.  4.  The  certain  method. 
It  has  ever  been  the  abundantly  suc- 
cessful method. 

Reconciled  to  God:  2  Cor.  5:20. 

Salvation  by  Works:  Gal.  2:21. 

Unnaturalness  of  Disobedience  of 
the  Gospel:  Gal.  3 : 1. 


FIVE  HUNDRED  TEXTS  AND  THEMES 


19 


Called:  Gal.  4:3. 

Sowing  and  Reaping:  Gal.  6  :  7,  8. 

Glorying  in  the  Cross:   Gal.  6:14. 

The  Lord  Jesus  Christ:  Ephe.  1:2. 

Faith,  What  Is  It?  Ephe.  2 : 8. 

Past  Feeling:  Ephe.  4:19. 

The  Fellowship  of  His  Sufferings: 
Phil.  3 :  10. 

Faith  and  a  Good  Conscience:  1 
Tim.  1 :  19. 

The  Weight  that  Hangs  on  Jesus: 
2  Tim.  1 :  12. 

The  Engineering  of  Eternity:  2 
Tim.  2 :  19. 

Salvatio n:  Titus  2:11. 

Danger  of  Neglecting  the  Gospel: 
Heb.  2 : 3. 

To  the  Uttermost:  Heb.  2:8. 

The  Gospel  of  the  Incarnation: 
Heb.  2 :  14. 

A  Friend  at  Court:  Heb.  4:  14. 

The  Power  of  an  Endless  Life: 
Heb.  7 :  16. 

To  the  Uttermost:  Heb.  7:24. 

Faith  in  God:  Heb.  11:1. 

Your  Personal  Salvation:  1  Pet. 
1 : 9-12. 

The  Transfiguration:   1  Pet.  2:21. 

Coming,  Always  Coming:  1  Pet 
2:4. 

Imitation  of  Christ:   1   Pet.  2:21. 

God's  Love:  1  John  4:1-4. 

The  Victory  of  Faith:  1  John  5:4, 

Types  of  Churches:  Rev.  2:11. 

Done  Suddenly:  2  Chron.  33:26. 

An  Invitation  Slighted:  "But  they 
made  light  of  it."     Matt.  22 :  5. 

Seeking  the  Lord  Our  Immediate 
Duty:  "It  is  time  to  seek  the  Lord." 
Hosea  10:12. 

When  to  Believe:  "Choose  ye  this 
dav  whom  ye  will  serve."  Josh.  24: 
15.' 

The  Spirit  of  Adoption:  "And  be- 
cause ye  are  sons,  God  hath  sent 
forth  his  spirit  into  your  hearts,  cry- 
ing Abba  Father."    Gal.  4  :  6. 

Following  God:  "Be  ye  therefore 
followers  of  God  as  dear  children." 
Eph.  5 : 1. 

Look,  and  Be  Saved:  "Look  unto 
me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of 
the  earth;  for  I  am  God,  and  there 
is  none  else."     Isa.  45  :  22. 

The  Open  Doors:  John  10:9.  The 
open  door  to  the  palace  of  grace  is 
Jesus.  Christ  is  the  door.  This  door 
is — 1.  The  door  of  salvation.  There- 
fore it  is  near.  2.  The  door  of 
safety.  Therefore  it  shuts  in.  3. 
The  door  of  privilege.  Therefore  it 
is  open.    4.  The  door  of  opportunity. 


But   it    shuts    up.     5.  The    door   of 
separation.     So  it  shuts  out. 

What  is  a  Christian:  1.  God's  child 
of  affection.  "Now  are  ye  the  sons 
of  God."  1  John  3:1,  2.  2.  God's 
friend  of  communion.  "I  have  called 
you  friends."  John  15 :  15.  3.  God's 
treasure  of  possession.  "Chosen  to 
be  special  people."  Deut.  7:6.  4. 
God's  property  for  use.  "Ye  are  not 
your  own."    1  Cor.  6:19. 

The  Sleeper  Aroused:  "What 
meanest  thou,  O  sleeper?  Arise  and 
call  upon  thy  God."    Jonah   1 : 6. 

Christ  Knocking  at  the  Heart: 
Rev.  3 :  30. 

The  Day  of  Salvation:  "Behold 
now  is  the  accepted  time ;  behold  now 
is  the  day  of  salvation."    2  Cor.  6 :  2. 

The  Soul  Neglected:  "As  thy  ser- 
vant was  busy  here  and  there,  he  was 
gone."     1  Kings  20  :  40. 

Hozv  God  Forgives  Sinners:  1. 
Frankly,  Luke  7 :  42.  2.  Freely,  Eph. 
4:32.  3.  Fully,  Col.  2:13;  Heb.  10: 
17. 

Christ  Seeking  Sinners:  Luke  19: 
10. 

The  Great  Deliverance:  Gal.  1 : 3, 
4.  1.  The  Giver,  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  2.  The  Gift— himself.  3.  The 
object — for  our  sins.  4.  The  end — 
deliverance  from  the  world. 

The  Duty  of  Confessing  Christ: 
"Whosoever  therefore  shall  confess 
me  before  men,  him  will  I  confess 
also  before  my  Father  which  is  in 
heaven."     Matt.  10:32. 

Testing  by  Tasting:  "O  taste  and 
see  that  the  Lord  is  good ;  blessed  is 
the  man  that  trusteth  in  him."  Ps. 
34:8. 

Out  of  Egypt  into  Canaan:  Deut. 
6:23. 

A  Closed  Door  and  a  Waiting  Sav- 
iour: Rev.  3 :  20. 

Being  God's  and  Serving  God:  Acts 
7:23. 

Soul  Prosperity:  3  John  1 : 2. 

The  Wrong  Standard  of  Measure: 
2  Cor.  10:12-18. 

Choosing  God:  Josh.  24:15-26. 

Unquestioning  Obedience:  Luke  5: 

Things  that  Keep  Us  from  God: 
Prov.  6:16-19. 

Duty  of  Self-Testing:  2  Cor.  13:5. 

The  Constraining  Love  of  Christ: 
2  Cor.  5 :  14. 

Growth  in  Grace:  2  Pet.  3:  18. 

Our  Need  and  Our  Supply:  Phil. 
4:19. 

Loves t  Thou  Me?  John  21 :  16. 


20 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


According    to    Your  Faith:    Matt. 
9:9. 

The   Invitation   of  Moses   to   Ho- 
bab:  Num.  10:29. 

God's  Favor  to  the  Righteous:  Ps. 
5:12. 

Rejoicing  in  God's  Salvation:  Ps. 
9:14. 

God   the  Portion  of  His  People: 
Ps.  16:5. 

The    Christian    Made    Glad:    Ps. 
92:4. 

Early  Piety:  Prov.  8  :  17. 

Christ  a  Friend:  Song  of  Sol.  5  :  16. 

Christ  a  Foundation:  Isa.  28:  16. 

The  Journey  to  Heaven:   Isa.  35 : 
10. 

The  Sinner's  Ruin  and  Recovery: 
Isa.  52 : 3. 

Christ  Mighty  to  Save:  Isa.  63:1. 

Seeking    the    Lord    an    Immediate 
Duty:  Hosea  10:  12. 

Invitation    to    Backsliders:    Hosea 
14:1-4. 

Life  Found  by  Seeking  the  Lord: 
Amos  5 : 4. 

The  Gospel  Fountain:  Zech.  13:1. 

Matthezu  Called  to  be  a  Disciple: 
Matt.  9 : 9. 

Sin  a  Disease:  Matt.  9:12. 

Christ    the    Physician    of    Souls: 
Matt.  9 :  12. 

Blessedness    of     Not    Being     Of- 
fended at  Christ:  Matt.  11:6. 

Christ   the  Pearl  of  Great  Price: 
Matt.  13  :  45,  46. 

The  Wedding  Garment:  Matt.  22: 
11-13. 

Deliverance  from  Captivity:   Luke 
4:18. 

The  Gospel  Feast:  Luke  14:16-20. 

Christ    Receiving    Sinners:     Luke 
15:2. 

Joy   of  Angels  Over  a  Repentant 
Sinner:  Luke  15  :  10. 

Christ  the  Saviour  of  the  World: 
John  4 :  42. 

Christ's     Gracious     Reception     of 
Sinners:  John  6  :  37. 

Christ    the    Light   of   the    World: 
John  8 :  12. 

Christ's   Calling   Mary:    John    11 : 
28,  29. 

The  Will  of  Christ:  John  17:24. 

The  Word  of  Salvation:  Acts  13: 
26. 

The  Gospel:  Rom.  1 :  16. 

The  Nearness  of  Salvation:  Rom. 
13:11. 

Christian  Steadfastness:  1  Cor.  15: 
58. 

The  Commencement  and  Progress 
of  Religion:  Phil.  1 :  6. 


Experimental  Religion:  Col.  1-6. 

The  Fulness  of  Christ:  Col.  1:19. 

A   Good   Hope   through   Grace:   2 
Thess.  2 :  16. 

Eternal  Life:   1  Tim.  6 :  12. 

The    Christian's    Life    of    Faith: 
Heb.  10:38. 

Save  a  Soul  from  Death:   James 
5 :  20. 

Christian  Deportment:   1   Peter  2: 
12. 

The  Example  of   Christ:    1   Peter 
2:21. 

The   Sacrifice   of  Christ:    1    Peter 
2:24. 

Early  Piety   the  Cause  of  Joy:  2 
John  4. 

Enjoyment    of    Divine    Goodness: 
Ps.  34:8. 

Delighting  in  God:   Ps.  37:4. 

Christ  the  Restorer:  Ps.  69:4. 

Gratitude  for  Divine  Mercies:  Ps. 
68:19. 

Communion  with  God:  Ps.  73:28. 

Numbering  Our  Days:   Ps.  90:12. 

Prayer  for  Divine  Mercy:  Ps.  90: 
14. 

The  Rest  of  the  Soul:  Ps.  116:7. 

Sin  Destructive:   Prov.  11:19. 

Light  in  Darkness:  Isa.  50:10. 

The  Gospel  Neglected:   Isa.  53:1. 

Seasonable  Seeking  after  God:  Isa. 
55:6. 

Divine    Goodness   Satisfying:    Jer. 
31 :  14. 

Danger  of  Apathy:  Amos  6:1. 

Christians    Compared    to    Jewels: 
Mai.  3 :  17. 

Participation  in  Christ's  Sacrifice: 
John  6 :  54. 

Christ  a  Shepherd:  John  10:11. 

Christ  the  Way  to  Heaven:  John 
14:6. 

The  Enriching  Saviour:  Rom.  10: 
12. 

The     Only     Foundation:     1     Cor. 
3:11. 

Christ  Our  Passover:   1   Cor.  5 : 7. 

Christ  a  Rock:  1  Cor.  10:4. 

The  Love  of  Christ:  2  Cor.  5:14. 

The  Day  of  Salvation:  2  Cor.  6:2. 

The  Gift  of  Christ:  Gal.  1:4. 

The    Greatness    of    the    Saviour's 
Love:  Eph.  2:  4. 

Riches  of  Divine  Mercy:  Eph.  2:4. 

Living  to  Christ:    Phil.  1:21. 

The    Christian    Warfare:    1    T'ira. 
1:18. 

Salvation   with    Eternal   Glory:    2 
Tim.  2 :  10. 

Neglect    of    the    Great   Salvation: 
Heb.  2 : 3. 

The  Christian's  Rest:  Heb.  4:9. 


FIVE  HUNDRED  TEXTS  AND  THEMES 


21 


The  Believer's  Inheritance:  1  Pet. 
1 : 3,  4. 

Precious  Faith:  2  Pet.  1:  1. 

Christ  the  Saviour  of  the  World: 
1  John  4  :  14. 

Christian  Zeal:  Rev.  3:19. 

The  Gospel  Trumpet:  Lsa.  27:3. 

Look,  and  Be  Saved:  lsa.  45  :  22. 

Christ  the  Sun  of  Righteousness: 
Mai.  4 : 2. 

Blessedness  of  the  Poor  in  Spirit: 
Matt.  5 : 3. 

Hungering  and  Thirsting  after 
Righteousness:  Matt.  5:6. 

Christ  the  Friend  of  Sinners: 
Luke  7  :  34.  _ 

Eternal  Life:  John  3:36. 

The  Persecutor  Converted:  Acts 
9:11. 

Pardon  and  Justification:  Acts  13: 
38,  39. 

The  Divine  Supply:   Phil.  4:19. 

The  Faithful  Saying:  1  Tim.  1:15. 

Christ  a  Testator:  Heb.  9:16. 

Christian  Warfare:  Gen.  49:19. 

Decision  for  God:  Ex.  22:26. 

The  Ark  a  Type  of  Christ:  2  Sam. 
6:11. 

The  Soul  Neglected:  1  Kings  20: 
40. 

Seeking  God:  Ps.  63 :  1. 

Light  in  Darkness:   Ps.  112:4. 

Mocking  at  Sin:  Prov.  14:9. 

Object  of  a  Christian's  Love:  Song 
3:3. 

The  Balm  of  Gilead:  Jer.  8:22. 

The  Swelling  of  Jordan:  Jer.  12:5. 

The  Axe  Laid  to  the  Root:  Matt. 
3:10. 

Christ's  Invitation:  Matt.  11:28. 

The  Chief  Corner-Stone:  Matt.  21: 
42-46. 

The  Heavenly  Company:  Luke  13: 
29. 

Temptation:  Luke  22:40. 

The  Great  Question:  John  9:35. 

Clirist  the  Good  Shepherd:  John 
10:14. 

Estrangement  from  God:  Rom. 
1:28. 

The  Atonement:  Rom.  3:25. 

Freedom  from  Condemnation: 
Rom.  8:1. 

The  Dignity  of  Adoption:  Rom. 
8:14. 

Living  Epistles:  2  Cor.  3:2. 

The  Day  of  Salvation:  2  Cor.  6:2. 

Zm/  /or  the  Gospel:  Gal.  4:  18. 

The  Truth  in  Jestis:  Eph.  4:21. 

Following  God:  Eph.  5:  1. 

Abundant  Grace:  Eph.  1:8-10. 

77z<?  Sword  of  the  Spirit:  Eph. 
6:17. 


Constancy  in  Prayer:  Eph.  6: 18. 

Reconciliation:  Col.  1:21,  22. 

C/iwJ  ^4//  in  All:  Col.  3: 11. 

Confidence  in  Christ:  2  Tim.  1: 12. 

Salvation  by  Grace:  Tit.  3:5. 

Honest  Conversation:  1  Pet.  2:12. 

Common  Salvation:  Jude  3. 

Christ    Knocking    at    the    Heart: 
Rev.  3 :  20. 

Dwelling  in  Love:   1  John  4:  16. 

77t*  Soul's  Cry  for  God:  Ps.  84:2. 

Faith:  Heb.  11  :  1. 

Foj</?  Essential:  Heb.  11:6. 

jFaif/j  and  Works:  Jas.  2 :  14-17. 

The  Spirit   Poured   Out:   Acts  2 
17. 

77z£  Important  Enquiry:    Job    13 
23. 

^4  Remembrance  of  Gospel  Truth 
2  Tim.  2:8. 

Supcrabounding  Grace:  Rom.  5:20, 

The  Robe  of  Charity:   1  Pet.  4:8 

The  Important  Question:   Ex.  32 
26. 

Parental  Solicitude:  Judges  13:12 

God  Ready  to  Pardon:  Neh.  9:  17 

Woman  of  Samaria:  John  4:7. 

77z£     Penitent     Thief:     Luke    23 
42-3. 

The    Philippian    Jailer:    Acts    16 
31-2. 

Abundant  Peace:  Dan.  6:25. 

The  Saving  Look:   lsa.  45:22. 

Christ  the  Only  Saviour:   Acts  4: 
12. 

Christian  Stability:    1    Cor.   15:58. 

How  io  Overcome  Evil:  Rom.  12: 
21. 

Keeping  God's  Word:   Ps.  119:17. 

Loveliness     of     Christ:     Song     of 
Solomon  5  :  16. 

The   World's  Saviour:   1   John  4: 
14. 

The  Opened  Ear:  Job  36 :  10. 

The    Opened    Eyes:    Acts    26:17, 
18. 

The  Understanding  Opened:   Luke 
24 :  45. 

The  Heart  Opened:  Acts  16:24. 

"Almost":  Acts  26:28. 

"Altogether":  Acts  26:29. 

The  Healing  Touch:  Luke  8:45. 

Grand  Object  of  Christ's  Mission: 
Luke  9 :  56. 

Without  God:  Eph.  2:12. 

/I    Christless    Condition:    Eph.    2: 
12. 

Hopelessness:  Eph.  2:12. 

C/imf  Owr  Life:  Gal.  2:20. 

77? £  Disciples  in  the  Cloud:  Luke 
9:34. 

The    Object    of    Our    Faith    and 
Hope:  1  Pet.  1:21. 


22 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


God's  Unwillingness  that  Men 
Should  Perish:  2  Pet.  3:9. 

The  Noble  Resolve:  Ps.  119:16. 

Christian  Love:  1  Pet.  1:22. 

God  Our  Helper:  Ps.  54:  4. 

Strengthened  with  All  Might:  Col. 
1:2. 

Law  and  Grace — Moses  and 
Christ:  John  1 :  17. 

The  Effectual  Fervent  Prayer: 
Jas.  5 :  16. 

Salvation  by  Grace:    Eph.  2:8,  9. 

The  Way  of  Salvation:  Acts  16:  17. 

A  Revival  Desired:  Ps.  85  :  6. 

Transgressions  Blotted  Out:  Isa. 
43:25. 

The  Eleventh  Commandment:  John 
13:14. 

Walking  Wisely:  Eph.  5  :  15. 

Sozving  and  Reaping:  2  Cor.  9:6. 

Sinful  Infatuation:  Zech.  7:11. 

The  Fulness  of  Christ:  Eph.  4: 
13. 

Offended  in  Christ:  "Blessed  is  he 
whosoever  shall  not  be  offended  in 
me."     Matt.  11:6. 

The  Wisest  Work  in  the  World: 
"He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise." 
Prov.  11:30. 

Conversion:  Its  Necessity,  Means 
and  Tests:  Acts  14:30-34. 

A  Birthright  Bargained  Aivay: 
"Looking  diligently  lest  any  man  fail 
of  the  grace  of  God."  Heb.  12:15- 
17. 

Tests  of  Discipleship:  "Lovest 
thou  me?"     John  21:27. 

The  Lord's  Joy  in  Saving  Sinners: 
As  the  shepherd's  over  his  sheep, 
Luke  15 : 7.  As  the  buyer's  in  his 
treasure,  Matt.  13  :  44.  As  the  bride- 
groom's over  his  bride,  Isa.  62 : 5. 
As  the  reaper's  over  his  sheaves,  Ps. 
126:6. 

Persuading  Men:  2  Cor.  5:11. 
Almost  persuaded,  Acts  21 :  28. 
Never  persuaded,  Luke  16:31.  I  am 
persuaded,  Rom.  8 :  38,  39. 

An  Open  Confession:  "I  will  de- 
clare what  he  hath  done  for  my  soul." 
Ps.  66 :  16. 

An  Invitation  Slighted:  "But  they 
made   light    of   it."     Matt.   22 : 5. 

Coming  to  Christ:  "Him  that  Com- 
eth to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 
John  6 :  37. 

The  Common  Salvation:  "Beloved, 
when  I  give  all  diligence  to  write 
unto  you  of  the  common  salvation," 
etc.    Jude  3. 

Seeking  God:  "O  God,  thou  art  my 
God,  early  will  I  seek  thee."  Ps. 
63:1. 


Look,  and  Be  Saved:  "Look  unto 
me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of 
the  earth ;  for  I  am  God,  and  there 
is  none  else."     Isa.  45  :  22. 

Now  Is  the  Accepted  Time:  2  Cor. 
6 : 2.  Now  is  God's  time.  Now  is 
a  good  time.  Now  is  the  right  time. 
Now  is  the  best  time.  Now  is  the 
only  time. 

The  Supreme  Question:  "What 
shall  I  do  to  be  saved?"    Acts  16:30. 

The  Self-Dooming  of  Neglect: 
"How  shall  we  escape  if  we  neglect 
so  great  salvation  ?"    Heb.  2 :  3. 

Straighten  Out  the  New  Year: 
"God  commanded  all  men  everywhere 
to  repent."    Acts  17:30. 

Steps  to  Christ:  "I  will  arise  and 
go  to  my  father."     Luke  15:  18. 

Come!  Come!  Come!  "The  Spirit 
and  the  bride  say,  Come."  Rev. 
22 :  17. 

Making  Excuse:  "And  they  all, 
with  one  consent,  began  to  make  ex- 
cuse."   Luke  14 : 1. 

The  Supreme  Question:  "What 
shall  I  do  to  be  saved?"    Acts  16:  30. 

Conditions  of  Discipleship:  Luke 
9 :  23.  Take  up  thy  cross  daily.  Fol- 
low me. 

Gospel  Invitations:  "I  stand  and 
knock."  Rev.  3  :  20.  "I  came  to  call 
sinners."  Luke  5  :  32.  "Come  unto 
me  and  rest."  Matt.  2 :  28.  "Come 
unto  me  and  drink."  John  7 :  37. 
"Come,  all  things  are  ready."  Luke 
14:17.  "No  wise  cast  out."  John 
6 :  37-47.  "Whosoever  will."  Rev. 
22 :  17. 

A  Good  Resolution:  "I  will  arise 
and  go  to  my  father."    Luke  15 :  18. 

A  New  Man  in  a  New  Year:  "If 
any  man  be  in  Christ  he  is  a  new 
creature,  old  things  are  passed  away, 
behold,  all  things  are  become  new." 
2   Cor.   5:17. 

Our  Warrant  for  Coming  to 
Christ:  Rev.  22 :  17.  "Whosoever 
will."  Invited  to  come.  Entreated 
to  come.  Commanded  to  come.  As- 
sured of  salvation  if  we  come. 

You  Have  Sinned:  Rom.  3:10; 
Gal.  3:10;  Jas.  2:10;  1  John  1:8; 
Rom.  3:22,  23. 

God  Loves  You:  John  3:16;  1 
John  3:16;  1  John  4:10;  1  John 
3:1;  Rom.  8  :  35. 

You  Can  Be  Saved:  Luke  2:10; 
1  Tim.  1:15;  Luke  19:10;  Prov. 
28:13;  John  6:37;  Isa.  1:18;  Heb. 
7 :  25  ;  Rev.  22 :  17. 

Obtaining  Salvation:  Rom.  10:1- 
21. 


FIVE  HUNDRED  TEXTS  AND  THEMES 


23 


Christ's  Call  for  You:  "The  Mas- 
ter is  come  and  calleth  for  thee." 
John  11:28. 

The  New  Birth:  It  brings  new 
things — a  new  creation,  2  Cor.  5 :  17 
— a  new  life,  1  John  5 :  12 — a  new 
peace,  Rom  5 :  1 — a  new  love,  1  John 
3 :  14— a  new  witness  within,  1  John 
5: 10 — a  new  outlook,  Rom.  8:  1. 

God  Desires  the  Human  Heart: 
"My  son,  give  me  thine  heart." 
Prov.    23 :  26.      These    words    show, 

1.  That  the  human  heart  is  not  by 
nature  in  God's  possession.  2.  That 
God  desires  possession  of  the  human 
heart.  "Give  me."  3.  That  God  de- 
sires a  willing  possession  of  the  hu- 
man heart.  "Give."  No  compulsion. 
Our  dignity  recognized.  Our  consent 
necessary. 

Jnconsiderateness :  "My  people  doth 
not  consider."  Isa.  1:3.  1.  The  lan- 
guage of  reproach.  2.  The  language 
of  regret.    Consider ! 

Christ  Knocking  at  the  Door  of  the 
Heart:  "Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door 
and  knock,"  etc.  Rev.  3  :  20.  Christ 
is  the  speaker.  His  address  to  all 
men — "if  any  man."  1.  How  does 
Christ  knock  at  the  door?  By  truth, 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  providences, 
etc.  2.  The  conditions  upon  which 
Christ  will  enter  the  heart.  Must 
hear  his  voice.  Must  open  the  door. 
3.  The  advantage  of  entertaining  the 
Royal  Guest.  Is  a  great  honor.  He 
will  fit  the  heart  for  himself.  He 
will  sup  with  us.  We  shall  sup  with 
him. 

Lot's  Wife:  "Remember  Lot's 
wife."  Luke  17:32.  1.  Her  privi- 
leges. 2.  Her  perverseness.  3.  Her 
punishment. 

The  Healing  Virtue  of  Christ: 
"And  the  whole  multitude  sought  to 
touch  him :  for  there  went  virtue  out 
of  him,  and  healed  them  all."  Luke 
6:19.     1.  There  is  sickness  in   man. 

2.  There  is  health  in  Jesus.  3. 
Contact  with  Jesus  heals.  4.  This 
health  and  this  contact  are  free  to  us. 

The  Opened  Fountain:  "In  that 
day  there  shall  be  a  fountain  opened 
in  the  house  of  David,"  etc.  Zech. 
13:1.  1.  The  certainty  of  this  pro- 
vision. "There  shall  be  a  fountain." 
2.  The  perpetuity  of  the  provision. 
"Fountain  opened."  A  Perpetual 
fountain  always  running,  always 
flowing.  3.  The  freeness  of  this  pro- 
vision. It  is  a  fountain  "opened." 
Not  a  fountain  dug,  nor  deserved, 
but  a  fountain  opened  by  God  him- 


self for  men's  need.  4.  The  suffi- 
ciency of  this  provision.  It  is  for 
"sin  and  uncleannness."  Compre- 
hensive provision  coextensive  with 
the  wants,  the  misery,  the  guilt  of 
man.     Pardon.     Salvation. 

No  Longer  Blind:  "One  thing  I 
know,  that  whereas  I  was  blind,  now 
I  see."  John  9:25.  1.  Humble  con- 
fession. "I  was  blind."  With  regard 
to  God.  With  regard  to  himself. 
With  regard  to  the  preciousness  of 
Christ.  2.  Humble  acknowledgment. 
"I  see."  What  I  see.  The  effect  it 
produces.  3.  Holy  confidence.  "I 
know."  "Spirit  of  God  beareth  wit- 
ness," etc. 

Plenty  of  Room:  "Yet  there  is 
room."  Luke  14:22.  1.  Where? 
At  the  table ;  in  the  house ;  in  the 
kitchen  of  heaven.  2.  For  whom? 
For  sincere,  hungry,  penitent  souls. 
3.  How  long  yet?  "Yet  there  is 
room" — that  is  now. 

An  Important  Question:  "What 
shall  I  do  then  with  Jesus?"  Matt. 
27 :  22.  1.  An  imperative  question. 
Something  must  be  done.  2.  A 
troublesome  question.  Pirate's  con- 
flict between  conviction  and  duty. 
3.  A  personal  question.  "What  shall 
I  do?"  4.  The  New  Testament  an- 
swer to  the  question.  Believe  in  him. 
Receive  him.    Abide  in  him. 

God  the  Habitation  of  Souls:  "Be 
thou  my  strong  habitation,  whereunto 
I  may  continually  resort."  Ps.  71 :  3. 
1.  The  soul  needs  a  habitation. 
Needs  a  home  for  protection,  for 
comfort,  for  settledness.  2.  God  is 
just  the  habitation  the  soul  wants. 
Affords  security,  comfort,  and  per- 
manent residence.  God  is  an  accessi- 
ble habitation — a  secure  habitation — 
a  blessed  habitation — an  enduring 
habitation. 

Added  to  the  Church:  "And  the 
Lord  added  to  the  Church  daily  such 
as  should  be  saved."  Acts  2  :  47.  1. 
Additions  to  the  Church  are  the  re- 
sults of  Divine  power.  "The  Lord 
added."  2.  The  Lord  added  to  the 
Church — not  to  a  union  of  persons 
for  secular  or  different  purposes. 
To  the  Church — the  spiritual  fellow- 
ship of  human  hearts.  3.  The  Lord 
added  to  the  Church  such  as  should 
be  saved.  The  Church  consists  of 
men  and  women  who  are  saved. 

Acquaintance  With  God:  "Ac- 
quaint now  thyself  with  him,  and  be 
at  peace ;  thereby  good  shall  come 
unto  thee."     Job  22:21.     1.  What  is 


. ,  ■   '_  .         .  ■    . 


24 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


implied  in  this  acquaintance.  Knowl- 
edge. Love.  Enjoyment.  Inter- 
course. 2.  The  means  for  attaining 
it.  The  Word.  The  Spirit's  influ- 
ence. Prayer.  Faith  in  Christ.  3. 
The  time  to  commence  it.  "Now." 
It  is  God's  time.  It  is  the  only  cer- 
tain time.  4.  The  blessed  result  of 
it.     Peace.    Good. 

The  Balm  of  Gilead:  Jer.  8:22. 

The  Great  Question:  John  9:35. 

Estrangement  from  God:  Rom. 
1:28. 

The  Day  of  Salvation:  2  Cor.  6:2. 

Salvation  by  Grace:  Tit.  3:5. 

The  Evangelistic  Outlook. 

The  Evangelistic  Spirit. 

The  Gospel  in  a  Sentence:  "If  any 
man  thirst  let  him  come  unto  me  and 
drink."    John  7:37. 

The  Gospel  Trumpet:  Isa.  27 : 3. 

Look,  and  Be  Saved:  Isa.  45:22. 

Christ  the  Sun  of  Righteousness: 
Mai.  4:2. 

Hungering  and  Thirsting  After 
Righteousness:  Matt.  5:6. 

Christ  the  Friend  of  Sinners: 
Luke  7 :  34. 

Eternal  Life:  John  3  :  36. 

The  Glorious  Gospel:  1  Tim.  1:11. 

The  Penitent's  Confidence:  Ps.  51: 
13-19. 

Responsibility  Neglected:  Ezek.  33: 
6. 

The  Privileges  of  the  Justified: 
Rom.  5:1,  2.  1.  Peace  with  God. 
The_  human  heart  uncontrolled  by 
Christ  is  at  enmity  with  God.  There 
can  be  no  peace  where  there  is  rebel- 
lion. God's  proposal  is  peace  on  con- 
dition of  surrender.  2.  Access  to 
God.  We  have  access  to  his  ear 
through  prayer;  access  to  his  mind 
through  Revelation ;  access  to  his 
heart  through  knowing  Christ.  3. 
Standing  in  his  grace.  Security  sur- 
rounds us  as  long  as  we  live  within 
the  circle  of  his  grace.  4.  Hope  of 
the  glory  of  God.     Vs.  2. 

Seeking  the  Lord  Our  Immediate 
Duty:  "It  is  time  to  seek  the  Lord." 
Hosea  10:  12. 

When  to  Believe:  "Choose  you 
this  day  whom  ye  will  serve."  Josh. 
24:15. 

The  Need  of  the  Holy  Spirit: 
John  16:1-7.  1.  Evil  is  present  and 
powerful  in  the  world  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  needed  to  help  you  over- 
come evil  within  you  and  evil  with- 
out you.  The  Holy  Spirit  will  drive 
out  all  that  is  unholy  in  thought  and 
deed.     2.  The     absence     of     Christ. 


Christ  promises  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
will  come  and  take  his  place ;  he  will 
be  to  the  disciples  forever  every- 
thing that  Christ  was  to  them  for 
three  years.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  to 
be  the  abiding  helper  of  every  dis- 
ciple of  Christ,  the  other  "Com- 
forter." 

The  Invitation  of  Moses  to  Ho- 
bab:  Num.  10:29. 

The  Surrender  of  the  Heart: 
Prov.  23:6. 

Accessions  to  the  Church:  Zech. 
8:23. 

The  Wedding  Garment:  Matt.  22: 
11-13. 

Christian  Discipleship :  John  9 :  27. 

Delighting  in  God:   Ps.  37:4. 

Christ  the  Way  to  Heaven:  John 
14:6. 

The  Enriching  Saviour:  Rom.  10 
12. 

Decision    for    God:    Exodus    32 
26. 

The  Soul  Neglected:   1  Kings  20 
40. 

The  Penitent's  Conviction  of  Sin 
"My   sin   is    ever   before   me."     Ps. 
51:3. 

Seeking  God:  Ps.  63  : 1. 

Mocking  at  Sin:  "Fools  make  a 
mock  at  sin."     Prov.  14 :  9. 

A  New  Creature:  "If  any  man  be 
in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature."  2 
Cor.  5 :  17. _  1.  His  judgments  are 
new.  2.  His  purposes  are  new.  3. 
His  desires  are  new.  4.  His  con- 
versation is  new.  5.  His  actions  are 
new. 

The  Lost  Sheep:  "What  man  of 
you,  having  one  hundred  sheep,  if 
he  lose  one  of  them,"  etc.  Luke 
5 : 4-6.  1.  Humanity  as  lost.  2. 
Humanity  as  sought.  3.  Humanity  as 
found. 

Christian  Discipleship:  "Will  ye 
also  be  his  disciples?"  John  9:27. 
1.  The  condition  of  Christian  disci- 
pleship. 2.  The  duties  of  disciple- 
ship. 3.  The  privilege  of  discipleship. 
4.  The  evidence  of  discipleship. 

Jonah  Asleep:  "What  meanest 
thou,  O  sleeper?"  Jonah  1:6.  This 
sleep  was  sinful.  It  was  at  the  wrong 
time  and  in  the  wrong  place.  "Let 
us  not  sleep  as  do  others." 

A  Right  Heart:  "Is  thine  heart 
right?"  1  Kings  10:15.  1.  A  heart 
that  is  right  is  a  trustful  heart.  2. 
A  heart  that  is  right  is  a  consecrated 
heart.  3.  A  heart  that  is  right  is  a 
pure  heart.  4.  A  heart  that  is  right 
is  a  heart  at  rest 


II 

FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  EVANGELISTIC 
ILLUSTRATIONS 


(With  Numerous  Cross  References) 

The  importance  of  illustration  in  preaching,  and  especially  in 
evangelistic  preaching,  is  beyond  expression.  Illustrations  are 
needed  to  explain,  to  prove,  to  adorn  and  to  render  impressive.  In 
many  cases  they  are  the  very  best  means  of  conveying  religious  truth 
and  often,  to  the  popular  mind,  the  only  way  of  explaining  it.  It 
has  been  said  that  eloquence  is  the  art  of  speaking  in  such  a  way  as 
is  best  adapted  to  attract,  co  instruct,  to  convince,  and  to  persuade. 
In  preaching  to  children  and  young  people,  and  to  the  great  mass 
of  adults  as  well,  the  use  of  illustration  is  simply  indispensable  if 
one  would  instruct  or  impress  them,  while  good  illustrations  are 
always  acceptable  and  useful  to  hearers  also  of  brightest  talent  and 
culture.  The  example  of  our  Lord  decides  the  whole  question.  He 
was  preeminent  in  the  use  of  metaphors,  similes,  parables,  illus- 
trative examples  and  in  other  such  means  of  lighting  up  and  enforc- 
ing truth. 


i.      Acceptance,    of    Christ.      A 

teacher  in  a  mission  school  in 
Africa  had  just  explained  the  para- 
ble of  the  king  who  invited  people 
to  his  feast.  One  of  the  large  boys 
said  he  wanted  to  follow  Jesus,  and 
the  little  boy  said  the  same.  "Have 
you  felt  for  some  time  that  Jesus 
has  been  calling  you?"  asked  the 
teacher.  "Oh,  no;  it  is  only  to-day; 
but  I  listened  right  off  when  he 
called,"  was  the  sincere  answer. 

That  is  the  time  to  answer,  when 
you  hear  the  call.  Do  it  promptly. 
Do  it  at  once.  Accept  the  first 
offer.— H. 


2.     Acknowledgment,     of 

See   God,   Acknowledged. 


God. 


3.  Asking.  If  God  announced 
that  he  would  give  gold  to  every 
one  that  should  ask  him,  how  many 
would  remain  poor?  Would  not 
the  gates  of  heaven  be  thronged 
perpetually  with  seekers  for  the 
dazzling  gift?  If  crowns  and 
honors    and    earthly    prizes    were 


promised  for  the  asking,  who  would 
not  ask  for  them? 

Now  all  the  glorious  things  of 
divine  love  and  grace  are  to  be  had, 
simply  for  the  asking.  Does  it 
seem  possible  that  any  one  should 
fail   then    to    ask? 

"Bubbles    we    buy    with    a    whole 
soul's  tasking; 
'Tis  heaven  alone  that  is  given 
away, 
'Tis  only  God  may  be  had  for  the 
asking." 

4.       Assurance,     Christian.       In 

speaking  to  two  ladies  at  an  after- 
meeting  Rev.  W.  G.  Puddifoot  illus- 
trated regeneration  as  follows: 
"Now  listen,  you  did  not  know  you 
were  born  the  first  time  for  some 
months  after,  did  you?"  "Why, 
no,"  one  said  with  a  smile.  "Well," 
I  said,  "it  is  the  same  with  me. 
I  must  have  been  a  year  and  a  half 
old  when  I  became  conscious  that 
I  was  born.  It  was  in  this  way. 
I  was   seated  on  the  floor  when  I 


25 


26 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


noticed  some  little  pink  things  that 
wriggled  in  a  most  fascinating  way. 
I  made  a  sudden  plunge  at  them, 
and  at  once  conveyed  them  to  my 
mouth,  and  some  little  sharp  teeth 
closed  upon  them,  and  with  a  loud 
cry  I  realized  they  were  part  of 
myself  and  that  I  was  born."  "You 
have  a  good  memory,  sir."  "Yes, 
because  I  know  things  that  no  one 
could  have  told  me.  You  see  that 
if  it  takes  so  long  to  find  that 
we  were  born  the  first  time,  it  is 
no  wonder  we  cannot  know  of  our 
second  birth,  of  being  'born  of  the 
Spirit.'  It  puzzled  Nicodemus,  and 
he  was  a  ruler  of  the  Jews.  Indeed 
there  is  a  great  mystery  about  it, 
for  'the  wind  bloweth  where  it  list- 
eth  and  thou  hearest  the  sound 
thereof  but  canst  not  tell  whence 
it  cometh  or  whither  it  goeth ;  so, 
is  every  man  that  is  born  of  the 
spirit.' " 

"But,"  said  the  woman,  "how  are 
we  to  know?"  "I  will  tell  you. 
When  you  find  that  you  desire  that 
which  is  good,  and  that  you  are 
drawn  toward  godly  people ;  that  you 
dislike  that  which  is  bad;  that  you 
begin  to  feel  kindly  toward  those 
who  have  ill  used  you;  and  better 
still,  if  you  desire  to  do  them  good, 
then  you  may  be  sure  you  are  born 
again,  or  born  of  the  Spirit,  for 
these  are  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit." 

"Will  you  pray  for  us,  sir?"  "I 
will,"  and  after  a  short  prayer  I  left 
them,  smiling  through   their  tears. 

5.  Assurance,  Christian.  Assur- 
ance springs  up  in  the  heart  in  con- 
sequence of  several  elements  meet- 
ing together.  The  first  is  a  strong 
faith  in  the  Word  and  promise  of 
God.  The  second  is  the  conscious- 
ness of  the  possession  of  that  state 
of  the  mind  or  character  to  which 
the  promises  are  annexed.  It  is 
not  simply  faith,  though  faith  is  at 
the  foundation.  The  fact  is  the 
Bible  is  full  of  promises,  and  they 
are  addressed  not  to  named  indi- 
viduals but  to  characters.  Whoso- 
ever loveth.  Whosoever  believeth. 
Whosoever  obeyeth.  Whosoever 
trusteth.  Whosoever  hopeth.  Well, 
if  I  hope  and  trust  and  obey  and 
love,  the  consciousness  of  possess- 
ing these  qualities  gives  me  the 
assurance  of  the  promises  which 
God  has  annexed  to  these  graces. 
Then,  too,  there  is  that  mysterious 


and  royal  gift,  the  witness  together 
with  our  spirit  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
These  three  evidences  taken  to- 
gether give  us  reliable  testimony 
upon  which  to  trust  that  we  have 
passed  from  death  into  life,  from 
old  things  into  new. 

We  cannot  put  too  much  confi- 
dence in  what  Jesus  says.  He  says, 
"Him  that  cometh  unto  me  I  will 
in  no  wise  cast  out."  I  come  to 
him.  I  have  a  right  to  believe  that 
he  has  not  cast  me  out.  He  says, 
"Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you; 
seek,  and  ye  shall  find;  knock,  and 
it  shall  be  opened  unto  you;  for 
every  one  that  asketh  receiveth; 
and  he  that  seeketh  findeth;  and  to 
him  that  knocketh  it  shall  be 
opened."  I  ask;  I  seek;  I  knock, 
in  my  desire  to  be  saved.  I  have 
a  right  to  believe  that  he  has  an- 
swered, has  been  found  of  me,  has 
opened  unto  me. — H. 

6.  Assurance,  Christian.  Every 
truly  penitent  believer  is  accepted 
of  God;  but  not  every  one  is  con- 
scious of  the  fact.  Yet  to  have  such 
a  consciousness  is  highly  desirable. 
Those  to  whom  sin  and  salvation 
are  not  vivid  realities  but  only 
vague  terms  having  little  personal 
application,  will  scarcely  desire  to 
seek  after  a  full  assurance  of  hope. 
But  those  who  are  awake  to  these 
great  realities  cannot  be  content 
with  less  than  a  confident  persua- 
sion of  their  acceptance  with  God. 
It  is  desirable  to  know  whether  the 
new  life  has  begun  in  us  or  not. 
And  we  may  know.  The  Apostle 
John  stood  very  near  to  Jesus,  and 
he  laid  much  emphasis  on  the  evi- 
dences of  salvation.  Naming  some 
of  these  he  showed  the  importance 
of  our  being  consciously  able  to 
bear  the  tests,  saying,  "Hereby  shall 
we  know  that  we  are  of  the  truth, 
and  shall  assure  our  heart  before 
him."  "If  our  hearts  condemn  us 
not,  then  have  we  confidence  to- 
ward God."  It  certainly  is  very 
desirable,  as  well  as  most  delight- 
ful, to  have  this  confidence.  There 
are  many  valuable  results  in  our 
lives  that  flow  from  possessing  it. 

That  one  may  know  whether  he 
is  saved  or  not  is  clearly  taught 
by  Jesus.  He  wished  all  his  fol- 
lowers to  advance  far  beyond  the 
mere  hope  that  they  have  a  hope. 
On  the  other  hand,  our  acceptance 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      27 


with  God  does  not  depend  upon  our 
feelings.  We  may  be  glad  of  that, 
for  our  feelings  are  very  fluctuating 
things  to  ground  our  expectation  of 
salvation  upon.  We  ground  our 
hope  of  salvation  upon  God's  fin- 
ished work  for  us  in  redemption, 
and  upon  his  spoken  word  of  prom- 
ise to  accept  us  and  save  us  when 
we  turn  to  him  in  Christ.  But  there 
are  available  tests,  evidences  of  sal- 
vation which,  if  used,  may  help  us 
to  a  knowledge  as  to  whether  we 
are  Christians  or  not. 

The  one  in  whom  the  new  life 
has  begun  has  some  consciousness 
of  belief  in  Jesus  and  of  trusting 
in  him  for  salvation.  This  does 
not  imply  that  he  has  a  clearly  de- 
fined grasp  of  the  doctrinal  ques- 
tions concerning  Christ's  nature; 
but  it  does  mean  that  he  feels  the 
need  of  a  divine  Saviour,  that  he 
believes  Jesus  to  be  God's  Son  and 
able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  all 
that  come  unto  God  by  him.  It 
means,  too,  that  the  believer  has 
more  than  a  mere  intellectual  as- 
sent to  the  fact  that  Jesus  is  God's 
Son.  He  has  a  consciousness  of 
yielding  to  Jesus,  of  casting  himself 
upon  him  as  his  only  hope,  of  trust- 
ing him  for  salvation. 

But  the  believer's  best  ground  of 
assurance  is  found  in  the  definite 
words  and  promises  of  Jesus  him- 
self. Jesus  said,  "He  that  believeth 
on  the  Son  hath  eternal  life."  It 
is  a  matter  of  definite  promise  and 
revelation  that  he  who  believes  on 
Christ  is  saved.  When  Jesus  says 
that  the  one  who  believes  on  him, 
relies  upon  him  for  salvation,  is 
saved,  and  I  consciously  trust  him, 
I  then  certainly  have  a  right  to  an 
assurance  that  I  am  saved.  This 
can  be  put,  like  any  other  point 
of  reasoning,  into  the  form  of  a 
syllogism.  It  is  a  matter  of  abso- 
lute revelation  that  he  that  believ- 
eth on  Christ  is  saved.  This  is  the 
major  proposition  of  the  syllogism. 
The  minor  proposition  is,  "I  believe." 
That  has  no  need  of  revelation ;  it  be- 
longs to  the  inner  consciousness.  Am 
not  I  just  as  sure  that  I  believe  as  I 
am  that  my  pulses  beat?  Now,  put 
the  minor  under  the  major  proposi- 
tion, and  the  infallible  conclusion  is, 
"Therefore  I  am  saved." — H. 

7.  Atonement.  On  a  little  church 
in    Germany    stands    a    stone    lamb 


which  has  an  interesting  history. 
When  some  workmen  were  engaged 
on  the  roof  of  the  building,  one  of 
them  fell  to  the  ground.  His  com- 
panions hastened  down  expecting  to 
find  him  killed.  They  were  amazed, 
however,  to  see  him  unhurt.  A  lamb 
had  been  grazing  just  where  he 
struck  the  ground,  and  falling  upon 
it,  the  little  creature  was  crushed  to 
death,  while  the  man  himself  es- 
caped injury.  He  was  so  grateful 
for  this  wonderful  deliverance,  that 
he  had  an  image  of  the  lamb  carved 
in  stone  and  placed  on  the  building 
as  a  memorial.  The  lamb  saved  his 
life  by  dying  in  his  place. 

8.  Atonement,  Cost  of.  "Mam- 
ma," said  a  little  child  to  her 
mother  when  she  was  being  put  to 
bed  at  night — "Mamma,  what  makes 
your  hand  so  scarred  and  twisted 
and  unlike  other  people's  hands?" 
"Well,"  said  the  mother,  "my  child, 
when  you  were  younger  than  you 
are  now,  years  ago,  one  night,  after 
I  had  put  you  to  bed,  I  heard  a  cry, 
a  shriek,  upstairs.  I  came  up,  and 
found  the  bed  was  on  fire,  and  I  took 
hold  of  you,  and  I  tore  off  the  burn- 
ing garments,  and  while  I  was  tear- 
ing them  off  and  trying  to  get  you 
away  I  burned  my  hand,  and  it  has 
been  scarred  and  twisted  ever  since, 
and  hardly  looks  any  more  like  a 
hand ;  but  I  got  that,  my  child,  in 
trying  to  save  you."  I  wish  to-day  I 
could  show  you  the  burned  hand  of 
Christ  burned  in  plucking  you  out 
of  the  fire ;  burned  in  snatching  you 
away  from  the  flame.  Aye,  also  the 
burned  foot  and  the  burned  brow, 
and  the  burned  heart — burned  for 
you.  "By  his  stripes  we  are  healed." 
— T. 

9.  Attraction,     Heavenward.      I 

had  preached  a  sermon  in  an  eastern 
city  when  a  man  came  to  me  to  say, 
"Would  you  like  to  shake  hands 
with  a  redeemed  drunkard?"  and  I 
assured  him  that  I  would.  He  put 
his  hand  in  mine  and  said,  "Listen 
to  my  story.  I  once  had  one  of  the 
best  positions  in  this  city,  but  strong 
drink  was  my  destruction.  I  was  one 
day  helplessly  lying  in  the  gutter 
when  some  one  taking  me  by  the 
hand  said,  'If  you  want  to  see  your 
boy  alive,  hurry  home.'  Quickly  I 
went  up  to  the  room  where  my  sin 
had  forced  my  wife  and  boy  to  live, 


28 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


and  found  that  a  great  truck  in  the 
city  had  passed  over  the  child  and  he 
was  dying.  He  took  me  by  the  hand 
and  pulled  me  down  by  his  side  and 
said,  'I  will  not  let  you  go  until  you 
promise  to  meet  me  in  Heaven,'  and 
holding  the  hand  he  died.  They  had 
to  break  away  his  hand  clasp  from 
this  hand  of  mine,"  said  he,  holding 
it  up,  "and  from  that  day  till  this  I 
have  felt  him  pulling  me  heaven- 
ward." But  this  is  true  of  every 
one  who  has  a  loved  one  yonder. 
"Come,  for  all  things  are  now 
'  ready."  It  would  be  an  awful  thing 
to  miss  Heaven  at  last. — J.  W. 
Chapman,   D.D. 

io.  Aviator,  His  Need  of  De- 
cision. See  Decision,  Must  Be  In- 
stantly Made. 

ii.  Backsliders,  from  Christ  and 
the  Church.  "My  people  are  bent 
on  backsliding  from  me."  Slipping 
away  from  God  is  caused  by  not 
drawing  close  to  him.  A  little  girl 
fell  out  of  bed.  When  asked  why, 
she  replied,  "I  went  to  sleep  too  near 
the  place  I  got  in." 

12.  Baptism,  Meaning  of.  One 
of  the  earliest  patients  at  the  dis- 
pensary in  Toro  (Uganda)  was  an 
old  man  who  came  to  receive  medi- 
cine for  an  ulcer.  He  became  pos- 
sessed with  a  desire  to  know  the 
truth,  and  was  put  into  the  old  men's 
Bible  class  for  instruction.  One  day 
he  came  to  the  missionary  with 
streaming  eyes  and  said,  "I  want  to 
be  baptized."  The  missionary  asked 
him,  "Mpisi,  will  baptism  save  us?" 
And  he  answered,  "Oh,  no,  only  Jesus 
who  died  on  the  cross."  "Then  what 
is  the  use  of  baptism?"  "Well,"  said 
he,  "Christ  told  us  to  believe  and  be 
baptized,  and  it  shows  we  want  to 
leave  our  bad  habits  and  follow  the 
habits  of  Christ."  That  simple- 
minded,  untutored  old  man  had 
caught  the  true  meaning  and  pur- 
pose of  baptism — salvation  from  sin 
through  the  Saviour's  atonement;  an 
act  of  obedience  to  Christ's  com- 
mand ;  and  a  sign  and  seal  of  the 
covenant  of  grace,  followed  by  a  life 
of  true  devotion. 

13.  Believe,  and  Climb.  It  was 
growing  dark  in  the  old  barn,  and 
to  the  child  straying  in  and  out  of 
the  fading  afternoon  light  it  looked 


more  shadowy  still.  But  some  one 
was  moving  about  in  the  hay  over- 
head, and  the  little  fellow  came  to 
the  foot  of  the  ladder  and  called: 
"Is  you  there,  grandpa?  I  want  to 
come  up."  "All  right,  come  along 
then,"  was  the  cheery  response.  But 
the  little  foot  placed  on  the  foot  of 
the  ladder  paused ;  and  a  troubled 
face  was  lifted  toward  the  dim  loft. 
"Grandpa,  I  can't  see  the  top  step." 
A  reassuring  laugh  answered:  "Put 
your  foot  on  the  round  where  you 
are,  little  man,  and  climb  up.  The 
last  step  is  here,  and  you'll  see  it 
when  you  get  to  it."  It  was  only 
the  old  lesson  that  we  all  need  over 
and  over  again — the  faithless  cry  we 
are  always  sending  out  to  be  allowed 
to  see  the  end  from  the  beginning, 
and  the  answer  that  in  one  way  and 
another,  by  inspiration,  by  experi- 
ence, is  always  coming  to  us.  Climb 
from  where  you  are.  Take  the  step 
that  is  next  above  you,  and  wait  for 
the  one  beyond  to  be  revealed  in  its 
time.  Believe  and  climb. — The  Op- 
timist. 

14.  Believe  God.  The  story  is 
told  of  a  young  swallow,  not  a  year 
old,  who  proved  conclusively  that 
his  father  and  mother  were  wrong  in 
migrating  South  for  the  winter. 
Having  proved  this,  he  remained 
North,  to  see  what  Christmas 
weather  was  like.  Long  before 
Christmas  the  poor  little  swallow 
was  found  dead  on  the  ground.  He 
had  had  the  better  of  the  argument, 
and  the  worst  of  the  experience.  If 
we  are  arguing,  conclusively  to  our- 
selves against  something  that  God 
offers  us  and  that  the  Word  of  God 
says  is  true,  it  may  enrich  our  ex- 
perience to  turn  away  from  our  ar- 
guments and,  without  even  attempt- 
ing to  understand  everything,  just 
believe  God. — Sunday  School  Times. 

15.  Believing,  on  Christ.  "What 
is  it  to  believe  on  Christ?"  It  is: 
To  feel  your  need  of  him.  To  believe 
that  he  is  able  and  willing  to  save 
you,  and  to  save  you  now.  And  to 
cast  yourself  unreservedly  on  his 
mercy,  and  trust  in  him  alone  for 
salvation. 

16.  Bible,  a  Mirror.  We  need  to 
see  ourselves.  That  is  why  we  have 
mirrors.  Some  people,  of  course, 
use  mirrors  in  order  to  congratulate 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      29 


themselves  on  what  they  see;  others 
use  them  in  order  to  improve  what 
they  see.  God  tells  us  that  his  Word 
is  a  mirror  which  he  wants  us  to 
use  for  our  improvement.  That  is, 
he  wants  us  to  act  on  what  we  see 
there  concerning  ourselves.  He  says : 
"For  if  any  one  is  a  hearer  of  the 
word  and  not  a  doer,  he  is  like  unto 
a  man  beholding  his  natural  face  in 
a  mirror:  for  he  beholdeth  himself, 
and  goeth  away,  and  straightway  for- 
getteth  what  manner  of  man  he 
was."  Mr.  S.  D.  Gordon  has  said 
that  the  Bible  is  "The  mirror  of  your 
needs :  you  see  things  about  yourself 
there  that  you  never  see  anywhere 
else.  Some  folks  don't  like  it — some 
folks  don't  use  it."  But  this  is  what 
God  says  about  the  right  use  of  his 
mirror :  "But  he  that  looketh  into 
the  perfect  law,  the  law  of  liberty 
and  so  continueth,  being  not  a  hearer 
that  forgetteth  but  a  doer  that  work- 
eth,  this  man  shall  be  blessed  in  his 
doing." — Sunday  School  Times. 

17.  Bible,  a  Sheep  Book.  "The 
Son  of  man  came  to  seek  and  to 
save  that  which  was  lost."  Luke 
19:10.  A  group  of  shepherds  had 
been  gathered  by  a  missionary  for 
the  purpose  of  reading  to  them  from 
the  Holy  Scriptures.  These  quaint 
rugged  men  were  seated  around  a 
log  fire,  one  chill  night,  in  a  rude 
cabin  somewhere  in  the  mountains  of 
Asia  Minor.  The  minister  appro- 
priately read  the  tenth  chapter  of 
John.  An  eager  voice  interrupted 
with  the  question,  "Oh,  sir,  is  that 
the  gospel?"  "Yes,"  he  replied, 
"this  is  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ." 
"Oh,"  said  the  shepherd,  his  face 
aglow  with  simple  pleasure  and  con- 
fidence, "I  didn't  know  before  that 
it  was  a  Sheep  Book."  Yes,  it  is  a 
sheep  book,  and  it  is  for  us  who  are 
lost H. 

18.  Bible,  Means  in  Conversion. 

God's  pre-eminent  method  in  soul- 
winning  is  his  Word.  "You  tell  in- 
teresting stories  when  you  are  trying 
to  win  some  one,  but  I  think  that  the 
Word  of  God  is  the  thing  that  brings 
conviction,  and  you  ought  to  use  it 
more,"  was  a  wife's  loving  counsel 
to  her  husband ;  and  he  discovered 
it  to  be  true.  Ralph  C.  Norton,  who 
was  the  Director  of  Personal  Work 
for  the  Chapman-Alexander  Mis- 
sions, was  talking  with  some  friends 


about  the  supreme  work  of  winning 
men  one  by  one,  in  which  God  used 
him  so  wonderfully.  When  they  no- 
ticed the  almost  exclusive  place  he 
gave  to  the  Bible  in  personal  work, 
one  asked  him :  "What  do  you  do, 
Mr.  Norton,  in  cases  where  the  un- 
saved man  does  not  accept  the  Bible 
as  having  any  authority?"  "Well, 
if  I  had  a  fine  Damascus  sword  with 
a  keen  double-edged  blade  I  would 
not  sheath  it  in  a  fight  just  because 
the  other  man  said  he  did  not  be- 
lieve it  would  cut."  The  Spirit  is 
acquainted  with  every  objection  that 
man  can  bring  to  accepting  Christ, 
and  his  answers  are  the  best. — Sun- 
day School  Times. 

19.  Bible,  Means  of  Conversion. 

See  Conversion,  Of  a  Soldier. 

20.  Bible  Message  Plus  a  Man. 

See  Personal  Work. 

ax.  Bible,  The  Word  in  the 
Word.  "And  Philip  opened  his 
mouth,  and  beginning  from  this 
Scripture,  preached  unto  him  Jesus." 
Acts  8 :  35.  Some  time  ago  one  of 
my  friends  went  out  with  a  little 
boy  who  was  leading  him  across  the 
common  from  the  railway  station  to 
the  house.  My  friend  said  to  him, 
"Go  to  Sunday-school  ?"  "Yes." 
"What  did  your  teacher  talk  about 
last  Sunday  afternoon?"  "Oh,  he 
was  talking  about  Jacob."  "And 
what  did  he  take  the  Sunday  before 
that?"  "Oh,  he  was  talking  about 
prayer."  "Well,  did  your  teacher 
talk  about  Jesus?"  "Oh,  no,"  said 
the  little  fellow,  "that's  at  the  other 
end  of  the  book."  Now  I  hold  that 
Jesus  is  not  at  the  other  end  of  the 
Book,  but  he  is  all  through  the 
Book,  and  every  chapter  and  every 
verse  and  every  incident  may  some- 
how be  made  a  road  to  Jesus. — F.  B. 
Meyer. 

22.  Blind,  Hope  for  the.  There 
is  hope  for  the  blind, — that  is,  if 
they  know  that  they  are  blind.  For 
they  have  a  wonderful  Guide.  Sev- 
eral years  ago  the  family  of  Dr.  Au- 
gustus H.  Strong,  whose  death  oc- 
curred in  1921,  met  for  a  remarkable 
reunion  with  their  father,  then 
eighty-one  years  old.  And  he  told 
them  that  he  had  never  planned  a 
book  he  had  written,  never  delivered 
an    address,    never    come    into    any 


30 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


great  change  in  his  life,  but  that  one 
word  described  his  life  as  he  looked 
back  upon  it  from  more  than  four- 
score years :  "He  leadeth  the  blind 
by  a  way  he  knoweth  not."  This 
was  based  on  Isaiah's  word,  "And 
I  will  bring  the  blind  by  a  way  that 
they  know  not;  in  paths  that  they 
know  not  will  I  lead  them ;  I  will 
make  darkness  light  before  them, 
and  crooked  places  straight.  These 
things  will  I  do,  and  I  will  not  for- 
sake them"  (Isa.  42: 16).  It  is  those 
who  are  blind  and  do  not  know  it 
who  are  to  be  pitied  indeed.  Our 
Lord  spoke  a  searching  word  to  them 
as  he  said :  "Because  thou  sayest,  I 
am  rich,  and  have  gotten  riches,  and 
have  need  of  nothing;  and  knowest 
not  that  thou  art  the  wretched  one 
and  miserable  and  poor  and  blind 
and  naked :  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of 
me  .  .  .  eyesalve  to  anoint  thine  eyes, 
that  thou  mayest  see"  (Rev.  3:17, 
18).  If  we  feel  that  we  are  blind, 
let  us  rejoice,  for  then  we  are  sure 
of  an  invitation  to  the  feast  of  our 
Lord,  who  has  given  orders  "to  bring 
in  hither  the  poor  and  maimed  and 
blind  and  lame." — Sunday  School 
Times. 

23.  Blindness,      Spiritual.       One 

evening  during  the  Torrey-Alexander 
meetings  held  in  Philadelphia,  the 
vast  audience  was  singing  the  hymn 
describing  the  change  which  will  take 
place  when  our  Saviour  shall  appear. 
An  old  man,  sitting  near  the  plat- 
form, joined  most  heartily,  espe- 
cially in  the  chorus.  Mr.  Alexander, 
who  has  the  sharpest  eyes,  noticed 
the  old  man,  and  in  his  winsome  way 
asked  if  he  would  not  rise  and  sing 
the  chorus  by  himself.  The  request 
was  complied  with,  and  a  somewhat 
quavering  voice  sang  the  words : 

"Oh,  what  a  change!     Oh,  what  a 

change ! 
When   I  shall  behold  his  wonder- 
ful face." 

The  old  man  sat  down.  Mr.  Alex- 
ander said :  "My  friends,  these  words 
mean  more  to  our  friend  here  than 
you  and  I  can  imagine.  To  see  our 
Saviour's  face  will  be  a  joy  to  us, 
but  what  will  it  be  to  him  whose 
eyes  are  closed  to  all  earthly  sights, 
for  he  is  blind." 

24.  Blood,  in  Science  and  Salva- 
tion.    It  is  known  in  chemistry  that 


scarlet  and  crimson  colors  are  in- 
eradicable. They  never  wear  out  or 
fade  away;  but,  with  Christ's  blood, 
"though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they 
shall  be  as  white  as  snow ;  though 
they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall 
be  as  wool."  In  science  blood  is  a 
bleacher;  in  medicine,  by  the  trans- 
fusion of  blood,  a  dying  person  re- 
covers his  life,  for  there  is  life  in 
the  blood.  Therefore,  it  is  not 
strange  that,  in  the  higher  realm,  the 
sinsick  soul  partakes  of  the  divine 
nature  through  the  blood  of  Jesus, 
so  that  he  exclaims,  "I  live,  yet  not 
I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me." 

25.  Blood,  of  Christ.  Among 
the  _  folk-lore  tales  of  the  American 
Indians  Mr.  George  A.  Dorsey  tells 
the  following,  found  current  among 
the  Wichitas :  "When  darkness  came, 
Afterbirth-Boy  again  looked  around 
to  see  where  his  father  had  gone. 
He  finally  found  his  trail,  and  he 
followed  it  with  his  eye  until  he 
found  the  place  where  his  father 
had  stopped.  He  called  his  brother 
and  told  him  to  bring  his  arrows 
and  to  shoot  up  right  straight  over- 
head. The  boy  brought  his  arrows 
and  shot  one  up  into  the  sky.  Then 
he  waited  for  a  while,  and  finally 
saw  a  drop  of  blood  come  down. 
It  was  the  blood  of  their  father. 
When  the  boys  did  not  return,  he 
gave  up  all  hope  of  ever  seeing 
them  again,  and  so  he  went  up  into 
the  sky  and  became  a  star.  They 
knew  that  this  blood  belonged  to 
their  father,  and  in  this  way  they 
found  out  where  he  had  gone.  They 
at  once  shot  up  two  arrows  and  then 
caught  hold  of  them  and  went  up 
in  the  sky  with  the  arrows.  Now 
the  two  brothers  stand  by  their  fa- 
ther in  the  sky." 

It  is  by  the  sign  of  the  blood  that 
flowed  on  Calvary  that  many  souls 
have  trusted  to  follow  their  great 
Forerunner  to  the  land  beyond  the 
sky.  The  arrows  we  send  thither 
are  named  Faith  and  Hope. 

26.  Brother,  Saving  Your.  Some 
time  ago,  in  the  East  of  London,  they 
were  digging  a  deep  drain.  In  the 
neighborhood  of  Victoria  Park  some 
of  the  shoring  gave  way  and  tons  of 
earth  fell  down  upon  several  men 
who  were  at  work  there.  Of  course 
there  was  a  great  deal  of  excitement. 
Standing  by  the   brink  was  a   man 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      31 


looking  on,  intently  watching  those 
who  were  attempting  to  dig  out  the 
earth.  But  a  woman  came  up  to  him, 
put  her  hand  on  his  shoulder,  and 
said,  "Bill,  your  brother  is  down 
there !"  You  should  have  seen  the 
sudden  change !  Off  went  his  coat, 
and  then  he  sprang  into  the  trench 
and  worked  as  if  he  had  the  strength 
of  ten  men. 

Oh,  my  fellow  Christian,  amid  the 
masses  of  the  sin-crushed,  the  de- 
graded and  the  lost,  your  brother  is 
there !  My  brother  is  there.  We 
may  fold  our  arms  and  say,  "Am  I 
my  brother's  keeper?"  But  yes,  we 
are.  It  is  not  for  us  to  shirk  the 
responsibility.  There  lie  our  breth- 
ren, and  we  shall  have  to  give  an 
account  concerning  them.  Whenever 
a  brother  man  lies  under  the  crush- 
ing weight  of  heathenism,  or  igno- 
rance, or  superstition ;  or,  nearer 
home,  under  the  awful  bulk  of  some 
evil  habit,  or  degradation,  or  crime; 
from  that  spot  of  peril  comes  to  us 
a  call  for  rescue.  It  is  a  call  to  which, 
if  unheeded,  none  of  us  can  say  with 
Paul,  referring  to  the  lost,  "I  am 
pure   from  the  blood  of  all  men." 

Let  us  not  forget  that  the  highest 
work  given  to  mortals  is  that  of  sav- 
ing souls.  It  is  the  work  which 
Christ  himself  came  into  this  world 
to  do.  It  is  work  which  we  must 
do  if  we  would  be  Christ-like  or 
even  human.  There  is  only  one  Sav- 
iour, but  human  messengers  must 
tell  the  story  of  his  love  and  bring 
men  to  him  to  be  saved.  In  these 
days  Christ  does  not  go  along  the 
paths-  of  life  seeking  the  lost,  save 
in  the  persons  of  his  disciples.  _  Think 
then  of  our  great  responsibility  as 
Christians.  Our  mission  is  to  carry 
Christ  to  those  who  do  not  know 
him,  or  to  carry  them  to  him.  There 
are  people  who  may  never  be  saved 
unless  it  be  through  us,  and  every 
one  who  calls  for  rescue  is  a  brother. 
— H. 

27.   Bought  with  Blood.    A  boy 

of  a  mechanical  turn  of  mind  made 
himself  a  toy  motor-boat  to  sail  upon 
a  stream  of  water  that  flowed  near 
his  home.  On  taking  it  to  the  stream 
he  found  it  was  defective,  and  it 
sailed  away  from  him  far  beyond 
his  reach.  After  many  efforts  to  re- 
cover it  he  was  at  last  compelled  to 
return  home  without  it.  To  him  it 
was  lost.    Not  long  after  he  was  sur- 


prised to  see  in  a  store  of  his  town 
a  boat  with  a  card  attached :  "This 
motor-boat  for  sale.  Price,  five  shil- 
lings." It  was  his!  He  made  his 
loss  known  to  the  then  owner,  but  it 
was  futile.  He  could  have  it  for  the 
price  of  five  shillings.  He  went  home 
and  told  his  father  of  his  predica- 
ment. The  father  heard  the  story 
and  said :  "Here's  the  money ;  go 
and  buy  back  your  own  boat."  And 
when  he  at  last  received  it  from  the 
vendor  he  hugged  it  to  himself  and 
said :  "You  are  twice  mine ;  I  made 
you,  and  I  bought  you."  So  we  are 
Christ's  by  twofold  claim ;  he  made 
us  and  he  redeemed  us.  He  made 
us  his  the  second  time  by  a  great 
price. 

This  is  God's  appeal  to  us :  "You 
are  twice  mine.  I  made  you  and  I 
bought  you." — H. 

28.  Boy  Convert.  Great  Result. 
See  Convert,  Importance  of  One. 

29.  Boy's    Decision    for    Christ. 

See  Decision  for  Christ. 

30.  Boy,  His  Devotion.  A  four- 
teen-year-old boy  from  a  missionary 
school,  while  on  a  visit  to  some 
friends,  went  into  a  village  temple 
one  afternoon,  and  there  found  a  fee- 
ble old  man  passing  from  idol  to  idol, 
and  praying  and  offering  incense 
sticks.  The  boy's  heart  was  touched 
by  the  sight,  and  tears  rolled  down 
his  cheeks.  At  last  he  went  up  to 
the  old  man,  and  said,  "Would  you 
mind  a  boy  speaking  to  you?  I  am 
young;  you  are  old."  The  man  was 
not  offended,  and  after  some  conver- 
sation the  lad  told  him  the  story  of 
God's  love.  The  man's  heart  was 
melted  as  he  listened.  "Boy,"  he 
said,  "I  have  never  heard  such  words 
before."  He  took  the  lad  home  with 
him,  so  that  his  wife  might  hear  the 
wonderful  story.  And  these  two 
were  led  to  the  Saviour  before  they 
ever  saw  or  heard  of  a  missionary. — 
The  Quiver. 


31.   Boy,    His 

Resisting  Christ. 


Testimony.     See 


32.  Boy,  His  Own.  Dr.  Cort- 
land Myers  relates  the  following 
story,  as  told  by  a  ship's  surgeon : 
"On  our  last  trip  a  boy  fell  over- 
board from  the  deck.  I  didn't  know 
who  he  was,  and  the  crew  hastened 


32 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


out  to  save  him.  They  brought  him 
on  board  the  ship,  took  off  his  outer 
garments,  turned  him  over  a  few 
times  and  worked  his  hands  and  feet 
When  they  had  done  all  they  knew 
how  to  do,  I  came  up  to  be  of  as- 
sistance, and  they  said  he  was  dead 
and  beyond  help.  I  turned  away  as 
I  said  to  them :  'I  think  you've  done 
all  you  could,'  but  just  then  a  sudden 
impulse  told  me  I  ought  to  go  over 
and  see  what  I  could  do.  I  went 
over  and  looked  down  into  the  boy's 
face  and  discovered  that  it  was  my 
own  boy.  Well,  you  may  believe  I 
didn't  think  the  last  thing  had  been 
done.  I  pulled  off  my  coat,  and  bent 
over  that  boy ;  I  blew  into  his  nos- 
trils and  breathed  into  his  mouth;  I 
turned  him  over  and  over,  and  sim- 
ply begged  God  to  bring  him  back  to 
life,  and  for  four  long  hours  I 
worked  until  just  at  sunset  I  began  to 
see  the  least  flutter  of  breath  that 
told  me  he  lived.  Oh,  I  will  never 
see  another  boy  drown  without  taking 
off  my  coat  in  the  first  instance  and 
going  to  him  and  trying  to  save  him 
as  if  I  knew  he  were  my  own  boy." 
Let  vis  act  thus.  Realize.  Feel. 
Act.     Continue. — H. 

33.  Business,  a  Christianas.  A 
pastor  of  a  growing  church  was  trav- 
eling on  a  train,  and,  finding  himself 
seated  beside  a  fellow  passenger, 
asked,  "What  is  your  business?"  "I 
am  a  salesman ;  I  sell  typewriters," 
was  the  answer.  "Here's  my  cata- 
logue. By  the  way,  what  is  your 
business?"  "I'm  a  salesman,  too. 
Here's  my  catalogue,"  and  he  handed 
his  companion  a  Bible. 

If  the  church  is  trying  to  make 
Christians,  just  as  the  business  or- 
ganizations are  trying  to  make  divi- 
dends, why  shouldn't  this  be  the  key- 
note of  its  utterances? 

34.  Call,  a  Gentle.  See  Conver- 
sion of  Children. 

35.  Call,  God's.  One  day  during 
the  Boer  war,  just  as  the  train  was 
starting  from  Waterloo  Station, 
London,  a  fine  man,  hot  and  weary, 
entered  the  carriage  where  I  was  sit- 
ting, and  hastily  seating  himself,  as 
if  more  exertion  were  impossible,  ex- 
claimed, "I'm  called."  He  soon  fell 
asleep,  and  we  noticed  that  he  was  a 
stoker,  and  was  black  with  the  soot 
and  oil  of  his  engine.    He  awoke  and 


again  exclaimed,  "I'm  called."  Then 
he  told  us  he  was  a  reservist,  and  was 
to  join  his  regiment  at  Alder  shot 
immediately.  He  did  not  wait  to 
wash  or  put. on  his  best  clothes,  but 
at  once  obeyed  the  call  of  his  king. 
God  has  called  us.  Have  we  an- 
swered as  readily? — Sunday  School 
Chronicle. 

36.  Call,    of    God.     One    day    a 

little  boy  was  playing  on  forbidden 
ground.  His  mother  called  to  him  to 
come  back.  He  paid  no  attention,  so 
again  she  called  louder,  then  louder 
still.  The  nurse  repeated  her  com- 
mand, but  there  was  no  response. 
Finally  the  mother  started  down  the 
gravel  walk,  calling  as  she  went. 
Suddenly  the  small  boy  turned  to  his 
nurse  and  said,  "Tell  mother  not  to 
call  any  louder,  I  can't  hear  her  any- 
way." 

Be  not  deaf  to  God's  call.  There 
are  none  so  deaf  as  those  who  do 
not  want  to  hear.  Boys  and  girls, 
be  not  deaf  to  God's  call. — H. 

37.  Call,  the  Last.  There  is  a 
pathos  in  the  last  of  any  series,  and 
especially  when  it  has  involved  any- 
thing worth  while.  The  athlete  is 
familiar  with  "Casey  at  the  Bat," — 
score  tied,  bases  full,  and  two  men 
out.  The  traveler  is  familiar  with 
"The  Last  Call  to  Dinner"  given  with 
portorial  eloquence.  The  bargain 
hunter  is  familiar  with  the  auction- 
eer's "Fair  warning — last  call."  The 
"go,  going,  gone"  is  an  every-day 
experience.  There  is  such  a  thing 
as  a  last  call  in  religion. 

38.  Call  to  Decision.     In  one  of 

the  tenement  houses  in  New  York 
City  a  doctor  was  sent  for.  He 
came  and  found  a  young  man  very 
sick.  When  he  got  to  the  bed-side 
the  young  man  said :  "Doctor,  I  don't 
want  you  to  deceive  me ;  I  want  to 
know  the  worst.  Is  this  illness  to 
prove  serious?" 

After  the  doctor  had  made  an  ex- 
amination, he  said :  "I  am  sorry  to 
tell  you  you  cannot  live  out  the 
night."  The  young  man  looked  up 
and  said :  "Well,  then,  I  have  missed 
it  at  last!"  "Missed  what?"  "I  have 
missed  eternal  life.  I  always  in- 
tended to  become  a  Christian  some 
day,  but  I  thought  I  had  plenty  of 
time  and  I  put  it  off." 

The    doctor,    who    was    himself   a 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      33 


Christian  man,  said,  "It  is  not  too 
late.  Call  on  God  for  mercy."  "No, 
I  have  always  had  a  great  contempt 
for  a  man  who  repents  when  he  is 
dying;  he  is  a  miserable  coward.  If 
I  were  not  sick  I  would  not  have  a 
thought  about  my  soul,  and  I  am  not 
going  to  insult  God  now." 

The  doctor  spent  the  day  with  him, 
read  to  him  out  of  the  Bible  and 
tried  to  get  him  to  lay  hold  of  the 
promises.  The  young  man  said  he 
would  not  call  on  God,  and  in  that 
state  of  mind  he  passed  away.  Just 
as  he  was  dying  the  doctor  saw  his 
lips  moving.  He  reached  down,  and 
all  he  could  hear  was  the  faint  whis- 
per :  "I  have  missed  it  at  last !" 

Make  sure  that  you  do  not  miss 
eternal  life  at  last.  Will  you  go 
with  Herod  or  with  John?  Bow 
your  head  now  and  say:  "Son  of 
God,  come  into  this  heart  of  mine.  I 
yield  myself  to  Thee  fully,  wholly, 
unreservedly."  He  will  come  to  you, 
and  will  not  only  save  you,  but  will 
keep  you  to  the  end. — The  Christian 
Observer. 

39.  Call  to  Salvation,  Respond 
Promptly.  See  Hurry,  In  Salva- 
tion. 

40.  Character,  Average.     An  old 

writer  tells  a  story  of  a  man  who 
prided  himself  on  his  great  morality, 
and  expected  to  be  saved  by  it,  who 
was  constantly  saying :  "I  am  doing 
pretty  well  on  the  whole ;  I  sometimes 
get  mad  and  swear,  but  then  I  am 
strictly  honest ;  I  work  on  Sunday 
when  I  am  particularly  busy,  but  I 
give  a  good  deal  to  the  poor,  and  I 
was  never  drunk  in  my  life." 

This  man  once  hired  a  canny 
Scotchman  to  build  a  fence  round 
his  lot,  and  gave  him  very  particular 
directions  as  to  his  work.  In  the 
evening,  when  the  Scotchman  came 
in  from  his  labor,  the  man  said : 
"Well,  Jock,  is  the  fence  built,  and 
is  it  tight  and  strong?" 

"I  cannot  say  that  it  is  all  tight 
and  strong,"  replied  Jock ;  "but  it's 
a  good  average  fence,  anyhow.  If 
some  parts  are  a  little  weak,  others 
are  extra  strong.  I  don't  know  but 
what  I  may  have  left  a  gap  here  and 
there,  a  yard  wide  or  so ;  but  then 
I  made  up  for  it  by  doubling  the 
number  of  rails  on  each  side  of  the 
gap.  I  dare  say  that  the  cattle  will 
find   it   a   very   good    fence,    on    the 


whole,  and  will  like  it,  though  I  can- 
not just  say  that  it's  perfect." 

"What,"  cried  the  man,  not  seeing 
the  point,  "do  you  tell  me  that  you 
have  built  a  fence  round  my  lot  with 
weak  places  in  it,  and  gaps  in  it? 
Why,  you  might  as  well  have  built 
no  fence  at  all.  If  there  is  one  open- 
ing, or  a  place  where  an  opening 
can  be  made,  the  cattle  will  be  sure 
to  find  it,  and  all  will  go  through. 
Don't  you  know,  man,  that  a  fence 
must  be  perfect  or  it  is  worthless?" 

"I  used  to  think  so,"  said  the  dry 
Scotchman,  "but  I  hear  you  talk  so 
much  about  averaging  matters  with 
the  Lord,  seems  to  me  that  we  might 
try  it  with  the  cattle.  If  an  average 
fence  will  not  do  for  them,  I  am 
afraid  that  an  average  character  will 
not  do  on  the  day  of  judgment." 

41.  Character,  Crisis  In.  "Years 
ago,  in  a  New  England  college,  there 
was  a  time  of  deep  religious  inter- 
est. Two  students  were  standing  at 
a  gate,  hesitating  as  to  whether  to 
go  in  and  talk  with  the  president 
about  what  they  must  do  to  be  saved. 
They  decided  differently,  they  sep- 
arated for  the  time,  and  the  decisions 
then  made  seemed  to  have  determined 
the  separation  of  the  lives  for  eter- 
nity. That  was  the  way  in  which 
men  faced  their  future  in  Christ's 
time ;  that  is  the  way  in  which  un- 
heeded, all  around  us  every  day, 
lives  are  being  made  or  marred. 

No  man  remains  standing  at  the 
cross-roads.  Crises  in  character,  like 
those  in  disease,  do  not  last  weeks  or 
months ;  they  pass,  and  there  is 
progress  in  one  direction  or  the  other. 
Christ's  words  leave  no  doubt  about 
that." 

42.  Child,  God's.  See  God,  Kin- 
ship With. 

43.  Child  Church  Members.  The 
little  son  of  a  distinguished  minister 
came  to  him  one  day  to  say 
that  he  wanted  to  become  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Church.  His  father 
thought  he  knew  the  boy  and  said 
to  him :  "My  son,  you  may  not 
just  understand  what  it  means  to 
join  the  church."  The  child,  how- 
ever, assured  him  that  he  did. 
Finally,  the  father  persuaded  him  to 
accept  this  proposition.  He  said : 
"We  are  just  now  going  away  for  the 
summer   vacation.     When   we   come 


34 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


back,  if  you  still  wish  it,  we  will  then 
take  you  into  the  church."  This  was 
not  according  to  the  boy's  desire, 
but  he  yielded.  The  summer  passed, 
but,  said  this  minister,  "When  I  came 
back  in  the  fall  I  came  back  without 
my  boy.  He  died  in  the  summer 
days."  Doubtless  the  child  was  ac- 
cepted of  Christ  because  of  his  de- 
sire, but  I  am  firmly  convinced  that 
he  ought  to  have  been  in  the  church, 
and  the  father  believes  it>  too,  to- 
day.— Rev.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  D.D. 

44.  Child,  Leading  to  Christ. 
One  evening,  at  a  service  in  New 
York  City,  I  saw  a  very  distin- 
guished looking  man  rise  and  say, 
"I  will  accept  Christ."  I  went  back 
to  the  hotel  and  told  my  wife  I  be- 
lieved I  had  been  used  by  Christ  to 
lead  a  great  man  to  God.  I  thought 
I  had,  but  the  next  day,  which  was 
a  day  of  prayer,  I  saw  this  man 
come  into  the  service  carrying  in  his 
arms  a  little  lame  boy.  He  brought 
him  forward,  and  placing  him  on  the 
platform,  he  came  over  to  me,  and, 
placing  his  hand  up  to  his  mouth  so 
the  child  could  not  hear  him,  he 
said,  "I  want  to  introduce  to  you 
my  little  Joe ;  he  is  going  to  die." 
He  did  not  need  to  tell  me  that 
The  little  fellow's  face  was  so  thin 
and  his  hands  were  so  white.  When 
I  came  over  he  said  with  all  the 
pride  of  a  father,  "This  is  Joe;  he 
led  me  to  Christ."  I  confess  I  was 
a  bit  disappointed.  Then  he  told 
me  the  story.  He  said :  "When  the 
mission  started,  Joe  said  to  me,  'Fa- 
ther, I  cannot  go,  but  mother  will 
take  you,  and  all  the  time  you  are 
gone  I  will  pray.'  I  never  came  into 
the  house  at  night  that  I  did  not  hear 
the  thud  of  his  little  crutch  on  the 
floor  as  he  came  to  welcome  me  the 
moment  the  door  was  opened.  He 
would  spring  into  my  arms  and  say, 
'Did  you  come?'  But  last  night  he 
did  not  ask  me.  I  heard  him  com- 
ing to  the  door  and  as  it  was  opened 
he  sprang  into  my  arms  and  buried 
his  face  in  my  shoulder,  and  I  heard 
him  say  with  a  sob,  'You  have  come, 
you  have  come,  I  know  you  have.' " — 
Rev.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  D.D. 

m  45.  Children,  Becoming  Chris- 
tians. Sometimes  the  Christian 
life  begins  very  simply,  especially 
with  the  young.  Thinking  of  my 
own  early  experiences  I  am  wonder- 


ing if  there  may  not  be  some  boys 
and  girls,  possibly  many,  who  do  not 
realize  how  gently  God's  call  can 
come,  or  how  simply  the  Christian 
life  may  begin.  For  I  know  that  I 
was  a  Christian  for  a  good  while 
before  I  dared  to  cherish  any  confi- 
dent hope  that  I  was.  Among  those 
who  have  been  under  good  influ- 
ences in  the  home,  the  church,  the 
Bible-school  and  have  been  living 
sweet  and  gentle  lives,  free  from 
grosser  forms  of  evil,  it  is  unreason- 
able (>to  expect  any  violent  "experi- 
ence'' or  marked  change  in  manner 
of  living.  Failing  to  recognize  this 
fact,  many  parents  continue  to  wres- 
tle with  the  Lord  in  prayer  for  the 
conversion  of  their  children  long  after 
that  change  has  really  taken  place; 
while  the  children  and  young  people 
themselves,  on  account  of  the  same 
mistaken  impression,  continue  long 
in  strong  efforts  and  deep  unsatis- 
fied longings  to  become  Christians 
after  God  has  indeed  accepted  them 
and  they  are  actually  living  devotedly 
in  his  service. 

It  is  well  for  us  all  to  recognize 
how  simply  and  quietly  the  Christian 
life  sometimes  begins. 
_  A  thoughtful  girl  of  sixteen  years, 
living  in  the  country  at  a  distance 
from  the  church,  which  made  attend- 
ance irregular,  read,  on  a  Sunday, 
the  memoir  of  a  Christian  woman. 
On  closing  the  volume,  she  said  to 
herself,  "That  was  a  beautiful  life." 
After  a  little  thought,  she  added, 
"And  I  should  like  to  live  such  a 
life."  A  few  minutes  later,  she 
kneeled  down  and  said,  "Lord,  I  will 
try  from  this  time."  The  decision 
was  made.  She  went  on  steadily,  and 
is  still  a  useful  and  influential  Chris- 
tian woman,  honored  and  beloved,  and 
widely  known  for  her  beautiful  and 
devout  character. — H. 

46.  Children.  Brother  Them. 
Sister  Them.  Let  the  minister  go 
over  his  membership  with  care  and, 
selecting  the  most  competent  people 
among  them,  appoint  for  each  child 
a  spiritual  guardian,  who  shall  be 
asked  to  make  the  nurture  of  that 
child's  religious  life  his  special  study 
and  attention.  He  should  see  that 
the  child  has  good  literature  to  read, 
encourage  his  regular  attendance  at 
church,  occasionally  visit  him,  or  in- 
vite the  child  to  his  own  home,  and, 
by   these   and   various   other   means, 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      35 


seek  to  deepen  and  mature  the  Chris- 
tian life  of  this  spiritual  ward.  The 
church  I  serve  has  followed  this  plan 
for  some  time,  and  with  most  satis- 
factory results. 

May  the  Good  Shepherd  help  us 
to  lead  all  these  lambs  of  his  fold 
into  green  pastures  and  beside  the 
still  waters,  and  write  all  their  names 
in  the  Lamb's  Book  of  Life. — Rev. 
John  Balcom  Shaw,  D.D. 

47.  Children,  Can  Serve  Christ. 

"Have  you  ever  been  to  see  a  bat- 
tleship launched?  You  know  it  is 
built  upon  an  inclined  structure,  gen- 
erally wooden,  called  the  ways.  But 
holding  the  vessel  in  place,  and  to 
keep  it  from  sliding  into  the  water, 
are  huge  beams,  which  must  be  sawed 
away  when  the  boat  is  launched. 
One  day  I  was  invited  to  see  a  large 
battleship  launched  at  Cramps'  ship- 
yard. The  ways  had  been  lubricated, 
or  oiled  so  that  the  ship  might  slip 
out  easily,  and  the  great  beams  had 
been  knocked  away,  but  the  ship 
wouldn't  move ! 

"There  it  stood,  with  every  one 
waiting  breathlessly  for  it  to  go. 
The  ones  in  authority  did  not  know 
what  to  make  of  it,  nor  what  to  do. 
Suddenly  a  little  boy  was  heard  to 
cry  out,  'I  know  how  to  make  it  go, 
mother.'  Dashing  out  of  the  crowd, 
he  went  up  to  that  big  ship,  put  his 
shoulder  against  it,  and  shoved  it 
with  all  his  might.  Soon  the  ship 
was  seen  to  quiver,  and  down  the 
ways  she  slid,  out  into  the  water! 
All  that  was  needed  was  the  extra 
help  from  that  little  boy. 

"Perhaps  you  have  often  thought, 
'What  can  a  boy  like  me  do?'  or 
'What  can  a  girl  do?'  in  helping 
along  this  great  work  for  Christ. 
But  possibly  everything  is  all  ready 
to  go  and  is  just  waiting  for  the 
shove  of  some  boy  or  girl.  Let  us 
remember  the  story  of  the  ship  and 
the  boy's  shove,  knowing  that  Christ 
will  use  our  little  effort—if  it  is  the 
greatest  that  we  can  give — to  help 
the  advancement  of  his  Kingdom." 

48.  Children,  Christ  Surely  Re- 
ceives. A  beautiful  story  is  told 
of  Francis  Xavier.  He  was  engaged 
in  his  missionary  work,  and  hundreds 
kept  coming  until  he  was  literally 
worn  out.  "I  must  have  sleep,"  he 
said  to  his  servant,  "or  I  shall  die. 
No  matter  who  comes,  do  not  disturb 


me ;  I  must  sleep."  Hastening  to  his 
tent,  he  left  his  faithful  attendant  to 
watch.  In  a  little  while,  however, 
the  servant  saw  Xavier's  white  face 
at  the  tent  door.  Answering  his  call, 
he  saw  on  his  countenance  a  look 
of  awe,  as  if  he  had  seen  a  vision. 
"I  made  a  mistake,"  said  the  mis- 
sionary. "I  made  a  mistake.  If  a 
little  child  comes,  waken  me." — J.  R. 
Miller,  D.D. 

49.  Child  Christians.  An  evan- 
gelist was  talking  to  a  meeting  of 
children.  He  brought  out  a  row 
of  candles  on  a  board ;  a  very  long 
candle  was  at  one  end,  a  very  short 
one  at  the  other.  Between  the  long 
one  and  the  short  one  were  candles 
of  various  heights.  He  said  that 
by  these  candles  he  wanted  to  repre- 
sent the  grandfather,  father  and 
mother,  boys  and  girls,  and  the  baby 
of  a  family  who  never  heard  of 
Christ  until  a  missionary  came — 
whom  he  represented  by  a  lighted 
candle — and  then  they  all  gave  their 
hearts  to  Jesus,  and  from  that  day 
loved  and  served  him.  He  then  asked 
which  candle  they  thought  repre- 
sented the  grandfather,  the  mother, 
and  so  on.  They  all  thought  that 
the  tallest  candle  would  be  the  grand- 
father, but  he  told  them,  "No,  that 
stands  for  the  baby,  the  youngest 
member  of  the  family."  Presently 
one  little  boy  said:  "I  know  why;  he 
has  the  chance  to  shine  the  longest 
for  Jesus." 

50.  Children,  Influenced  by  Par- 
ents. The  wife  of  a  prominent 
lawyer  who  had  been  under  deep 
conviction  for  several  days  gave  the 
following  account  at  our  prayer- 
meeting  of  her  conversion. 

"Last  evening  my  little  girl  came 
to  me  and  said :  'Mamma,  are  you  a 
Christian?' 

"  'No,  Fannie,  I  am  not.' 

"She  turned  and  went  away,  and  as 
she  walked  off  I  heard  her  say,  'Well, 
if  mamma  isn't  a  Christian,  I  don't 
want   to   be   one.' 

"And  I  tell  you,  my  dear  friends,  it 
went  right  to  my  heart,  and  then  I 
gave  myself  up  to  Christ." 

Will  you  delay  decision  for  Christ 
when  you  know  that  your  course  is 
imperiling  other  souls? 

51.  Children,  Leading  Parents  to 
Christ.     Dr.   R.   A.  Torrey  tells  a 


36 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


beautiful  story  of  a  man  in  Chicago 
who  had  a  sweet  little  daughter.  He 
loved  her  dearly,  but  God  took  that 
little  child  away  from  him.  The 
house  was  so  lonely  and  he  was  so 
angry  against  God  that  he  went  up 
and  down  in  his  room  far  into  the 
night  cursing  God  for  having  robbed 
him  of  his  child.  At  last  thoroughly 
worn  out,  and  in  great  bitterness  of 
spirit,  he  threw  himself  on  his  bed. 
He  dreamed  he  stood  beside  a  river. 
Across  the  river  in  the  distance  he 
heard  the  singing  of  such  voices  as 
he  had  never  listened  to  before.  Then 
he  saw  in  the  distance  beautiful  little 
girls  coming  toward  him,  nearer  and 
nearer,  until  at  last  at  the  head  of 
the  company  he  saw  his  own  little 
girl.  She  stood  on  the  brink  of  the 
river  and  called  across,  "Come  over 
here,  father."  That  overcame  his  bit- 
terness ;  he  accepted  Jesus  and  pre- 
pared to  go  over  yonder  where  his 
sweet  child  had  gone. 

52.  Children,  Lost.  Have  you 
ever  had  the  experience  of,  even  for 
a  little  time,  being  lost  in  a  great 
city?  If  so,  then  you  know  how  to 
sympathize  with  the  poor  little  waifs 
that  in  New  York,  and  in  other  large 
cities,  are  often  picked  up  by  the 
police.  The  summer  is  the  great 
season  for  lost  children,  because 
doors  are  left  open  and  they  so  easily 
slip  out  into  the  street  and  wander 
off.  The  first  indication  a  policeman 
has  of  a  lost  child  is  to  see  it  crying, 
and  when  he  asks  its  name  and  num- 
ber the  poor  little  one  generally  an- 
swers in  sobs.  The  lost  one  is  at 
once  carried  to  police  headquarters, 
where  a  matron  is  employed  for  this 
purpose.  It  is  washed  and  fed,  and 
also  consoled  with  the  promise  that 
"Mamma  will  come  soon."  And  sure 
enough,  whenever  a  mother  finds  that 
her  child  has  wandered,  she  at  once 
applies  to  the  above-mentioned  place, 
which  has  witnessed  many  an  affec- 
tionate  reunion. 

One  year  the  New  York  City 
record  contained  the  names  of  3,137 
lost  children  who  were  thus  restored. 
Most  of  the  number  belonged  to  the 
poorer  classes,  who  move  so  often 
that  the  children  get  lost  before  they 
become  acquainted  with  the  locality. 
Occasionally  some  rich  man's  child 
slips  away  from  a  careless  nurse  and 
turns  up  in  that  roomful  of  the  poor 
little   ones   which  is   gathered   every 


day.  Let  every  father  and  mother 
learn  the  lesson.  In  almost  every 
case  the  child  is  lost  through  paren- 
tal neglect. 

It  was  Socrates  who  once  said, 
"Could  I  climb  to  the  highest  place 
in  Athens,  I  would  lift  up  my  voice 
and  proclaim:  Fellow-citizens,  why 
do  you  turn  and  scrape  every  stone 
to  gather  wealth,  and  take  so  little 
care  of  your  children,  to  whom  one 
day  you  must  relinquish  it  all  ?"  Soc- 
rates lived  in  a  land  unillumined  by 
the  gospel  of  Christ;  yet  it  would 
seem  that  in  these  days  some  emphatic 
voice  were  needed  to  call  fathers  and 
mothers  in  Christian  America  to  a 
sense  of  their  duty  toward  the  souls 
of  the  children  committed  to  their 
trust.— H. 

53.  Children,  May  Work  in  a 
Revival.  "Out  of  the  mouths  of 
babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast  per- 
fected  praise." 

A  native  king  in  West  Africa  was 
induced  by  a  missionary  to  lay  aside 
his  royalty  for  a  time  and  attend  a 
Christian  educational  institution.  He 
graduated  with  honors,  but  having 
head  knowledge  only,  went  back  to 
his  tribe,  put  on  his  heathen  clothes, 
took  a  half-dozen  wives,  and  sank 
back  into  degradation.  Bishop  Tay- 
lor preached  to  him  one  day  for  full 
two  hours,  but  left  him  still  in  dark- 
ness. Soon  after,  the  bishop  estab- 
lished a  mission  station  on  the  bank 
of  the  river  opposite  the  king's  pal- 
ace. A  lady  opened  a  nursery,  and 
soon  had  twenty  native  children  un- 
der her  care.  In  less  than  two  years 
most  of  them  were  genuinely  con- 
verted, and  at  a  public  meeting  were 
called  upon  to  testify,  from  personal 
experience,  to,  the  reality  of  the  sal- 
vation of  Jesus.  One  by  one  these 
children  stood  on  a  box,  and  told  the 
story  with  such  simple  clearness  and 
evident  truthfulness  that  the  heathen 
were  convinced.  The  king  and  sev- 
eral of  his  chiefs  were  brought  to 
God,  and  he  became  the  native  pas- 
tor of  the  church  erected  in  his  vil- 
lage. 

There  is  a  place  in  revival  work 
for  the  testimony  of  children. — H. 

54.  Children,   Parental   Neglect 

of.  The  son  of  an  eminent  bar- 
rister in  England  was  once  standing 
in  a  felon's  dock  awaiting  a  sentence 
of    transportation.      Said   the   judge, 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      37 


who  knew  his  parentage  and  his 
history,  "Do  you  remember  your 
father?"  "Perfectly,"  said  the  young 
man ;  "whenever  I  entered  his  pres- 
ence he  would  say,  'Run  away,  my 
lad,  and  don't  trouble  me.' "  In  this 
way  that  great  lawyer  gained  time 
and  was  enabled  to  complete  his  fa- 
mous work  on  "The  Law  of  Trusts." 
But  his  son,  in  the  meantime,  fur- 
nished a  practical  commentary  on  the 
way  in  which  his  father  had  dis- 
charged that  most  sacred  of  all  trusts, 
committed  to  him  in  the  person  of 
his   own   child. 

Visitors  to  Niagara  Falls  are 
shown  the  spot  where,  a  few  years 
since,  a  gentleman  was  playfully  toss- 
ing a  child  in  his  arms  towards  the 
flood  rushing  at  his  feet  on  the  edge 
of  the  precipice,  when  the  little  bur- 
den sprang  from  his  grasp,  and  in  a 
moment  was  gone — a  speck  in  the 
foam  below.  We  can  only  imagine 
the  emotions  of  the  man  whose 
charge  so  suddenly  passed  to  fearful 
death. 

But  surely  this  is  a  trivial  thing 
compared  with  the  parental  sacri- 
fices seen  daily  everywhere.  How 
carelessly  do  loving  hands  fling  young 
souls,  by  the  power  of  unholy  in- 
fluence or  neglect,  upon  the  tide  of 
moral  ruin!  To  trifle,  however 
fondly,  with  the  body  is  bad  enough ; 
but  lightly  to  value  the  undying  soul 
and  let  it  drift  into  the  sweeping 
current  of  worldliness  is  awful 
pastime. — H. 

55.     Children,  Responsibility  of. 

We  do  not  know  just  when  our  chil- 
dren may  reach  the  point  of  responsi- 
bility. It  is  said  that  in  the  Niagara 
River  there  is  one  point  called  "Past 
Redemption  Point,"  and  that  if  one 
reaches  and  passes  this  place,  he  is 
hurried  on  to  the  rapids  and  the 
chances  are  all  against  his  life  being 
saved.  We  do  not  know  at  what 
age  our  children  may  pass  this  point 
in  their  lives. 

This  being  true,  it  is  wise  for  us 
to  present  Christ  to  them  as  a 
Saviour  very  early  in  their  lives.  _  It 
is  said  that  the  cannon  ball  passing 
through  a  four-foot  bore  of  the  can- 
non receives  its  impulse  for  the  whole 
course  it  is  to  travel.  And  the 
statement  has  been  made  that  the 
Catholic  authorities  have  said :  "If 
you  will  give  us  your  children  for 
the   first   nine   years    of   their   lives, 


you  can  never  win  them  away  from 
us."  It  is  therefore  doubtless  true 
that  many  a  child  receives  impres- 
sions before  he  is  ten  years  of  age 
that  determine  the  whole  course  of 
his  after  life.  What  an  awful  re- 
sponsibility not  to  present  Christ  to 
him  as  Saviour  and  Keeper. 

56.  Christ,     Ashamed     of.      A 

church  member  was  going  up  to  a 
lumber-camp  in  the  north  and  a 
friend  said  to  him :  "If  those  lum- 
ber-jacks find  out  you're  a  Christian, 
they'll  make  sport  of  you."  The 
man  went  up  there,  and  when  he 
came  back  his  friend  said :  "Well, 
how  did  you  get  along  with  the  lum- 
ber-jacks?" The  man  answered: 
"All  right.  They  didn't  find  it 
out." 

That's  the  way  with  so  many  peo- 
ple who  profess  to  be  Christians. 
They're  church  members,  but  a  stran- 
ger would  have  a  mighty  hard  time 
finding  it  out.  The  first  thing  a  man 
does  when  he  joins  a  lodere  is  to  get 
a  pin,  and  if  anybody  says  anything 
about  the  lodge  he  will  stand  up  and 
fight  for  it ;  but  there  are  a  lot  of 
church  members  who  will  see  the 
Church  and  Jesus  Christ  insulted 
and  never  open  their  mouths. — Billy 
Sunday. 

57.  Choice,    Brief   but   Endless. 

The  cross  of  Christ  and  the  cross  to 
be  borne  by  his  follower  always 
stand  at  the  parting  of  the  ways. 

The  disciples  who  went  back 
"walked  no  more  with  him."  That 
is  the  significant  thing.  Out  from 
some  railroad  centres  the  tracks  run 
side  by  side.  A  divergence  of  a  few 
inches  decides  a  difference  of  thou- 
sands of  miles  in  destinations.  The 
parting  of  the  two  ways  is  not  tem- 
porary, they  never  merge  into  one 
again.  Each  course  continues  in  the 
direction  in  which  it  starts,  and  a 
gulf  great  and  impassable  stands  fixed 
throughout  eternity  separating  the 
goals  of  the  two  roads  between  which 
each  person  has  one  opportunity  to 
choose.  That  choice  is  brief  but 
yet  endless. 

58.  Choices,  Only  Two.  Said  an 
old  salt  to  the  young  apprentice : 
"Aboard  a  man  o'  war,  my  lad,  there's 
only  two  choices.  One's  duty; 
t'other's  mutiny." — Rev.  A.  S.  Wood- 

BURNE. 


38 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


59.  Christ,  Confessed.  "Whoso- 
ever shall  confess  me  before  men," 
etc.  Luke  12  :  8.  As  illustrating  the 
timely  help  Salvationist  officers  are 
able  to  give  men  who,  newly  arrived, 
have  to  face  a  great  temptation  to 
hide  their  colors,  a  commissioner  re- 
lated this  incident :  "At  one  camp 
a  Salvationist  service  man  came  to 
our  hut  and,  getting  in  touch  with 
the  officer,  told  him  he  was  having 
a  big  fight,  and  wanted  his  prayers. 
A  little  inquiry  elicited  the  informa- 
tion that  he  had  just  arrived,  and 
was  to  sleep  that  night  in  a  room 
with  several  unconverted  men.  He 
wanted  to  be  bold,  he  said,  and  take 
his  stand  from  the  first.  Of  course 
the  officer  was  onlytoo  ready  to  help, 
prayed  with  him  and  for  him,  and 
sent  him  off.  On  reaching  his  room 
the  man  found  his  mates  already  as- 
sembled, and  said  to  them,  'Men,  I 
am  a  Salvationist,  and  as  such  I  am 
of  course  going  to  pray  before  I 
turn  in !'  Not  a  word  was  said  and 
our  man  dropped  on  his  knees,  but 
instead  of  praying  silently  he  prayed 
aloud!  Nothing  happened  till  next 
night,  when,  on  returning  to  the 
sleeping  quarters,  our  man  was  greeted 
by  one  of  the*  men  who,  speaking 
for  the  others,  said,  'Matey,  we've 
been  waiting  for"  you ;  we  want  you 
to  pray  with  us  before  we  turn  in !' " 

60.  Christ,  Confession  of.  "Who- 
soever, therefore,  shall  confess  me 
before  men,  him  will  I  confess  also 
before  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 
Matt.    10 :  32. 

A  little  more  than  six  years  ago 
a  friend,  who  is  deeply  interested 
in  work  for  Christ  among  sailors, 
told  me  that  at  the  close  of  a  prayer 
meeting  of  which  he  had  been  the 
leader,  a  young  seaman,  who  had  only 
a  few  nights  before  been  converted, 
came  up  to  him,  and,  laying  a  blank 
card  before  him,  requested  him  to 
write  a  few  words  upon  it,  because, 
he  said :  "You  will  do  it  more  plainly 
than  I  can."  "What  must  I  write?" 
said  nvy  friend.  "Write  these  words, 
sir:  'I  love  Jesus — do  you?'  After 
he  had  written  them,  my  friend  said : 
"Now  you  must  tell  me  what  you 
are  going  to  do  with  the  card."  He 
replied:  "I  am  going  to  sea  to-mor- 
row, and  I  am  afraid  if  I  do  not 
take  a  stand  at  once  I  may  begin  to 
be  ashamed  of  my  religion,  and  let 
myself    be    laughed    out    of    it   alto- 


gether. Now  as  soon  as  I  go  on 
board,  I  shall  walk  straight  to  my 
bunk  and  nail  up  this  card  upon  it, 
that  every  one  may  know  that  I  am 
a  Christian,  and  may  give  up  all 
hope  of  making  me  either  ashamed 
or  afraid  of  adhering  to  the  Lord." 
The  young  sailor  was  right.  A 
bold  front  is  often  more  than  half 
the  battle,  and  many  a  general  has 
saved  himself  from  being  attacked 
by  making  what  is  called  a  "show 
of  force."  So  let  it  be  with  you 
in  the  carrying  out  of  your  religious 
convictions.  Meet  your  assailants, 
not  with  retaliation,  but  with  calm 
fortitude. 

61.  Christ,  Coming  to.  Coming 
to  Jesus  is  the  desire  of  the  heart 
after  him.  It  is  to  feel  our  sin 
and  misery ;  to  believe  that  he  is  able 
and  willing  to  pardon,  comfort,  and 
save  us ;  to  ask  him  to  help  us,  and 
to  trust  in  him  as  our  Friend.  To 
have  just  the  same  feelings  and  de- 
sires as  if  he  were  visibly  present, 
and  we  came  and  implored  him  to 
bless  us,  is  to  come  to  him,  though 
we  do  not  see  his  face  nor  hear  his 


62.  Christ,  Conquers  Our  Hearts. 
See  Hearts,  Conquered  by  Christ. 

63.  Christ,  Depended  on  for 
Salvation.  In  a  factory  where  del- 
icate fabrics  were  woven,  when  the 
threads  at  any  time  became  tangled 
the  operatives  were  required  to  press 
a  button  and  the  superintendent 
would  appear  to  rectify  things.  On 
one  occasion,  however,  though  a 
young  girl  had  just  a  little  while 
before  touched  the  button  for  assist- 
ance, a  woman  who  was  an  old  hand 
at  the  work  thought  she  "knew,"  and 
could  get  along  without  this  formal- 
ity. The  threads  became  inextrica- 
bly mixed,  and  much  damage  en- 
sued. To  the  superintendent  she 
said,  "I  did  my  best."  To  which 
he  replied,  "Doing  your  best  is  send- 
ing for  me."  Doing  our  best  is  de- 
pending on  Christ.  Ask  him  to  save 
you.  Ask  him  to  help  you.  Ask 
him  to  empower  you.  Doing  your 
best  is  depending  on  Christ. — H. 

64.  Christ,  Earnestly  Sought. 
A  farmer  lost  a  five-pound  note  in 
the  barn.  He  was  not  a  wealthy 
man,  and  the  loss  of  this  note  was 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      39 


a  serious  matter  to  him.  He  re- 
solved to  turn  over  every  straw  un- 
til he  found  it.  After  some  days  of 
search  he  discovered  the  precious 
bank-note,  and  went  home  greatly  re- 
joicing. A  little  later  he  was  brought 
under  deep  conviction  of  sin,  and 
said  to  his  wife :  "I  wish  I  could 
believe  in  the  Saviour,  but,  alas !  I 
cannot  find  him."  She  replied,  ''If 
you  look  for  him  as  you  looked  for 
that  note  in  the  barn,  you  will  find 
him."  Acting  upon  that  advice,  he 
was  soon  rejoicing  in  the  possession 
of  Christ.  We  must  strive  to  enter 
in  by  the  narrow   door. 

65.  Christ  Giving  Himself.  See 
Sacrifice,  Willing. 

66.  Christ,  Gladdened.  The 
Bible  described  Christ  as  the  "Man 
of  Sorrows."  Did  you  ever  con- 
sider why  Jesus  was  so  sorrowful? 
Was  it  not  in  part  because  of  the 
ill  treatment  which  he  received  from 
those   whom   he   came   to   save? 

When  he  was  born,  there  was  no 
room  for  him  in  the  inn.  Afterward 
there  was  no  room  for  him  in  Jeru- 
salem. Herod,  thirsting  for  his 
blood,  condemned  to  death  all  the 
children  of  Bethlehem  under  two 
years,  so  the  parents  of  Jesus  fled  to 
Egypt  for  safety.  He  returned  to 
Nazareth,  the  most  despised  hamlet 
in  Galilee,  but  no  sooner  had  he  be- 
gun his  public  ministry  than  the  peo- 
ple drove  him  out  of  the  town.  He 
went  down  to  Capernaum  to  live, 
but  in  a  few  months  he  was  driven 
out  of  that  city.  From  that  time 
he  had  no  place  that  he  could  call 
home.  He  went  into  the  temple  at 
Jerusalem,  "My  Father's  house,"  as 
he  loved  to  call  it,  but  the  priests 
soon  drove  him  out.  They  wanted 
the  room  for  merchandise.  He 
crossed  the  sea  to  Gadara,  and  the 
Gadarenes  'besought  him  to  "depart 
out  of  their  coasts."  Really,  there 
was  no  place  for  him  in  this  world. 
"He  came  to  his  own  and  his  own  re- 
ceived him  not."  They  despised  him, 
rejected  him,  and  finally  sent  him 
back  to  Heaven  with  the  words, 
"Not  wanted,"  plainly  written  on 
his  pierced  hands  and  bleeding 
brow. 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  he  was  a 
Man  of  Sorrows?  Is  it  any  wonder 
that  he  rejoices  with  joy  unspeakable 
when  any  one  offers  him  a  home  in 


their     hearts? — Rev.     Howard     W. 
Pope. 

67.  Christ,  His  Blood  Cleansing. 
"The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  his  Son, 
cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  1  John 
1:7.  In  the  old  fighting  days  be- 
tween England  and  Scotland  the  Eng- 
lish soldiers  were  hunting  the  fugi- 
tive Robert  Bruce,  and  they  hit  upon 
a  clever  scheme  to  discover  him. 
They  put  on  his  track  his  own  blood- 
hounds, and  Bruce  soon  heard  their 
deep  baying.  Then  his  solitary  at- 
tendant heard  the  sound,  and  said: 
"We  are  lost.  The  English  have  un- 
leashed the  hounds,  and  they  are  on 
our  trail."  "No,"  answered  Bruce, 
"it  is  all  right.  They  will  not  catch 
us  yet.  There  is  a  stream  yonder. 
We  will  plunge  into  it,  and  the  dogs 
will  lose  our  scent."  So  when  the 
hounds  came  to  the  water  they  lost 
the  trail,  and  the  attempt  to  discover 
Bruce  failed.  And  so  with  our  sins. 
Steadily  they  pursue  us,  and  the  only 
way  to  free  ourselves  is  to  plunge 
into  the  cleansing  fountain  of 
Christ's  blood,  where  we  shall  be 
made  whiter  than  snow.  The  blood 
of   Christ  is  a  saving  stream. 

68.  Christ,  His  Finished  Work. 
See  Works,  Not  of. 

69.  Christ,  His  Readiness  to 
Deliver.  When  in  February,  1909, 
the  Florida  struck  the  Republic,  J. 
R.  Binns,  the  Marconi  operator  of 
the  Republic,  was  engaged  in  sending 
a  commercial  message.  He  instantly 
broke  into  it  with  the  symbol, 
"C.  Q."  Every  wireless  operator 
who  heard  the  letters  immediately 
stilled  his  instrument  and  was  all 
attention,  for  these  letters  meant  that 
a  message  of  world  importance  was 
to  follow.  Another  instant  and  there 
was  added  the  awful  symbol,  "D" 
(Danger).  Then  came  the  location 
of  the  endangered  ship.  The  cry 
was  speedily  sent  flying  from  the 
more  powerful  land  instruments  over 
land  and  sea.  The  result  was  that 
of  which  dreamers  had  dreamed. 
Turning  without  thought  of  the  al- 
most accomplished  goal  of  her  long 
journey,  the  Baltic  puts  back  to  sea 
at  top  speed.  The  Lorraine  swings 
out  of  her  course  on  the  same  mis- 
sion of  mercy,  and  the  far-distant 
Lucania  signals  that  she  is  on  the 
way  to  the   relief   of  the  imperiled. 


40 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


The  prayer  has  been  answered.  Man 
has  had  a  new  experience.  Mys- 
terious Spirit  has  again  asserted  it- 
self master  of  matter.  So  Christ 
stands  ready  to  deliver  souls  in  dis- 
tress. 

70.  Christ,  Look  At.  Sir  Joshua 
Reynolds  used  to  say,  "I  only  look 
at  the  best  pictures.  A  bad  one 
spoils  my  eye."  The  more  we  look 
at  Christ  the  more  shall  we  become 
like   Christ. 


71.      Christ,    Made    King. 
Loyalty  to  Christ. 


See 


72.  Christ,  Our  Friend.  "This 
man  receiveth  sinners,  and  eateth 
with  them."  Luke  15 : 2.  A  recent 
magazine  article  on  the  "Big  Brother 
Movement"  tells  of  a  boy  sent  to  the 
House  of  Refuge,  and  therefore  at- 
tending the  school  at  that  institution. 
One  day,  in  one  of  the  classes,  he  was 
asked  to  spell  the  word  "friend."  The 
letters  came  slowly,  "F-r-i-e-n-d," 
and  then  the  teacher  asked,  "What 
does  the  word  mean?"  The  little 
fellow  studied  for  a  moment  for  a 
way  to  express  his  thought.  "Oh," 
he  said,  "he's  a  feller  that  knows 
all  about  ye,  an'  likes  ye  just  the 
same."  It  was  the  highest  thing  in 
friendship  his  brief  life  had  taught 
him.  That  is  the  wonderful  tie  that 
binds  us  to  our  Friend  in  heaven. 
He  knows  it  all,  the  mistakes,  the 
falls,  the  disloyalty,  the  far  wander- 
ings, and  still  he  cares.  The  Elder 
Brother  is  the  need  of  all  the  earth. 
He  will  be  your  friend  and  mine. 
He  knows  all  about  us  and  yet  he 
loves  us. — H. 

73.  Christ,  Present  Him  as 
Saviour.  Said  Bishop  W.  F.  Mc- 
Dowell before  the  first  national  con- 
vention of  Methodist  men :  "I  would 
not  cross  the  street  to  give  India  a 
new  theology.  India  has  more  the- 
ology than  it  can  understand.  _  I 
would  not  cross  the  street  to  give 
China  a  new  code  of  ethics ;  China 
has  a  vastly  better  code  than  ethical 
life.  I  would  not  cross  the  street 
to  give  Japan  a  new  religious  liter- 
ature, for  Japan  has  a  better  religious 
literature  than  religious  life.  But  I 
would  go  around  the  world  again, 
and  yet  again,  if  it  pleased  God,  to 
tell  India  and  China  and  Africa  and 
the  rest  of  the  world — 


"  'There    is    a    fountain    filled    with 
blood, 
Drawn    from    Immanuel's    veins, 
And    sinners    plunged    beneath    that 
flood 
Lose  all  their  guilty  stains.' " 

74.  Christ,  Robbing.  A  minister 
conversed  with  a  man  who  professed 
conversion.  "Have  you  united  with 
the  church?"  he  asked  him.  "No, 
the  dying  thief  never  united  with 
the  church  and  he  went  to  heaven," 
was  the  answer.  "Have  you  talked 
with  your  neighbors  about  Christ?" 
"No,  the  dying  thief  never  did." 
"Have  you  given  to  missions?"  "No, 
the  dying  thief  did  not."  "Well,  my 
friend,"  said  the  minister,  "the  differ- 
ence between  you  two  seems  to  be 
that  he  was  a  dying  thief,  and  you 
are  a  living  one." 

75.  Christ,  Saving  Love  of.  It 
is  said  that  when  Edward  I  of  Eng- 
land was  wounded  with  a  poisoned 
arrow,  his  wife  Eleanor  put  her 
mouth  to  the  wound,  and  thus  risked 
her  own  life,  to  extract  the  poison. 
But  the  love  of  Christ  was  deeper 
than  this  when  he  knew  that  he  was 
risking  all  that  he  had,  and  yet  did 
not  fear  to  invest  it  all  in  order 
that  he  might  bring  us  unto  God. 

76.  Christ,  Soldiers  Confessing. 
One  Sunday  afternoon  I  had  a  serv- 
ice for  a  great  crowd  of  men  about 
eight  miles  from  the  front  line. 
They  were  moving  that  day  to  the 
front  lines  to  go  into  battle.  I  had 
tried  to  get  some  War  Roll  Cards, 
but  there  were  none  in  that  section. 
I  had  only  one  left  in  my  pocket. 
After  talking  to  the  men,  and  sing- 
ing for  them,  I  told  them  about  the 
War  Roll  Card.  Then  I  told  the 
Captain  in  charge  of  these  men  that 
I  would  give  him  the  one  I  had,  and 
any  fellow  who  wanted  to  do  so  could 
make  a  copy  of  it,  sign  it,  and  we 
would  be  glad  to  send  it  in  for  him. 
The  Captain  took  the  little  card, 
looked  it  over,  took  me  off  to  one 
side  and  said,  "Mr.  Rodeheaver,  if 
you  don't  mind,  I'd  like  to  sign  this 
card  myself.  I  have  a  wife  and  two 
babies  back  in  the  southland,  and  a 
dear  old  father  and  mother  there. 
They  all  belong  to  the  Church — they 
have  always  wanted  me  to  join  them, 
but,  like  so  many  men,  I  have  simply 
put  it  off.     I  am  going  into   battle 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      41 


to-morrow,  and  of  course  we  never 
know  what  is  going  to  happen.  I 
would  like  the  folks  at  home  to  have 
the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  I 
accepted  this  proposition  and  signed 
this  War  Roll  Card." 

That  was  the  feeling  of  thousands 
of  men  in  France  who  had  no  chance 
of  signing  a  War  Roll  Card. — 
Homer  A.  Rodeheaver. 

77.  Christ,  the  Captain  of  Our 
Salvation.  It  was  a  high  tribute 
that  Major-General  Beaumont  B. 
Buck  paid  to  the  American  troops, 
in  an  interview  published  in  the  New 
York  World,  when  he  said :  "And 
this  prominent  fact  stands  out.  No 
American  unit  ever  lost  a  foot  of 
ground  gained.  That  is,  in  the 
wavering  during  a  battle  fractions  of 
the  line  might  yield  at  times,  but  the 
Americans  always  stuck  at  the  end 
of  the  battle,  to  the  furthest  point 
they  ever  reached." 

That  is  the  kind  of  fighting  that 
wins.  And,  in  infinitely  greater  de- 
gree, it  is  true  that  the  Captain  of 
our  salvation  never  lost  a  foot  of 
ground  that  he  has  gained  in  his 
fighting  in  behalf  of  all  who  will 
believe  on  him.  With  him,  more- 
over, there  is  never  even  any  waver- 
ing during  a  battle,  never  any  yield- 
ing at  times ;  but  always  an  omnipo- 
tent, impregnable,  undefeatable  hold- 
ing of  all  that  he  has  won,  and  a 
steady  pushing  on  toward  the  tri- 
umphant completion.  "For  I  know 
him  whom  I  have  believed,  and  I 
am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to 
guard  that  which  I  have  committed 
unto  him  against  that  day"  (2  Tim. 
1 :  12).  "He  who  began  a  good  work 
in  you  will  perfect  it  until  the  day 
of  Jesus  Christ"  (Phil.  1:6).— C.  G. 
Trumbull. 

78.  Christ,    the    Great    Oculist. 

Evangelist  Wharton  saw  a  man  on 
a  train  so  nervous  and  anxious,  rest- 
less in  his  seat,  getting  up  and  gaz- 
ing from  window  to  window,  that  he 
had  to  ask  him,  "What  is  the  trouble? 
Anything  I  can  do  for  you?"  The 
man  said :  "I've  been  to  Cincinnati ;  a 
great  oculist  has  operated  on  my 
eyes.  I  never  saw  my  wife,  or  either 
of  my  four  children.  I  was  born 
blind.  The  next  station  is  my  town; 
they  will  all  be  there  to  see  me." 

Mr.  Wharton  watched  him  alight 
— saw  a  woman  approach  and  throw 


her  arms  about  him,  and  four  young- 
sters crowding  near  for  a  kiss  of 
greeting.  Above  all  the  racket  inci- 
dent to  the  arrival  of  the  train  he 
heard  the  stranger,  looking  skyward, 
say,  "Thank  God !  I  can  see,  can  see 
my  wife  and  my  babes !" 

May  the  Great  Oculist  grant  to 
"open  the  eyes  of  the  blind"  that  they 
may  see  and  cry,  "Whereas  I  was 
blind,  now  I  can  see,  can  see  my 
Father,  my  Brother,  my  brethren  and 
my   sisters." 

79.  Christ  the  Only  Way.  A 
man  recently  gave  directions  to  an- 
other who  stopped  to  ask  him  the 
way  to  a  certain  street.  "That's  the 
best  way,  is  it?"  asked  the  inquirer 
a  little  doubtfully.  "It  is  the  only 
way,"  was  the  quick  answer.  "The 
other  road  will  lead  you  back  where 
you  started." — Sunday-School  Times. 

80.  Christ,  the  Source  of 
Strength.  Christ's  promise  to  be 
with  him  is  the  source  of  strength 
with  which  a  young  Christian  may 
start  out  or  an   older  one  continue. 

A  soldier,  wounded  some  kilo- 
meters north  of  Chateau  Thierry,  in 
July,  1918,  was  asked  in  a  field  hos- 
pital what  vivid  impression  the  battle 
had  left  with  him,  and  answered : 
"Well,  I  was  mighty  lonely."  His 
company  had  advanced  in  open  for- 
mation, and  that  placed  each  man 
by  himself.  They  had  to  pass 
through  a  fairly  thick  wood,  where 
the  trees  separated  the  men.  They 
had  worn  their  gas  masks  most  of 
the  time — further  isolating  each  man 
from  his  neighbors.  This  man  had 
fallen  with  three  machine-gun  bullets 
in  his  right  leg  and  one  in  his  left 
arm,  and  every  comrade  he  knew 
had  gone  forward,  leaving  him  to 
wait  anxiously,  wondering  if  the 
bearers  would  ever  come  out  and 
pick  him  up.  In  telling  his  experi- 
ence, he  added,  somewhat  embar- 
rassed at  saying  what  meant  so  much 
to  him :  "I  tell  you  it  was  good  to 
feel  that  you  had  a  Friend  that  stick- 
eth  closer  than  a  brother." 

Once  during  the  wars  between  the 
Spanish  and  the  French,  the  Span- 
iards, who  were  investing  their  foes, 
sent  an  insulting  note  to  the  French 
commander  General  Coligny :  "Sur- 
render !  We  are  more  numerous 
than  you."  And  General  Coligny 
wrote  his  reply  on  a  piece  of  paper 


42 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


and  fastened  it  to  an  arrow  and  shot 
it  into  the  Spanish  camp.  It  read : 
"Surrender?  Never!  We  have  a 
king  with  us."  When  we  are 
tempted  to  surrender  because  of  Sa- 
tan's overwhelming  attacks,  we  can 
fling  back  the  same  proud  and  de- 
fiant answer,  "We  have  a  King  with 
us." 

81.  Christ  the  Way.  It  is  said 
that  the  ancient  city  of  Troy  had 
but  one  entrance,  and  from  whatever 
direction  the  travelers  approached  the 
city  they  could  not  enter  except 
through  that  one  legally  appointed 
entrance.  There  is  but  one  way  that 
will  lead  us  into  the  presence  of  God, 
that  is  Christ.  "I  am  the  way,  and 
no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father  but 
by  me."     "So  walk  ye"  in  that  way. 

82.  Christ,  the  Way  Through.    A 

distinguished  artist  lately,  speaking 
to  some  students  on  artistic  compo- 
sition, declared  it  to  be  a  wrong 
thing  pictorially  to  have  a  picture 
of  woodland  or  forest  without  show- 
ing a  path  leading  out  of  it.  When 
the  true  artist  paints  a  landscape  he 
invariably  gives  some  suggestions  of 
a  path  which  can  carry  the  eye  out 
of  the  picture.  Otherwise  the  tangle 
of  trees  and  undergrowth  would  suf- 
focate us,  or  the  wide,  trackless 
spaces  dismay  us.  So  God  ever  pro- 
vides a  Way  of  escape  for  his  chil- 
dren.— Sunday  at  Home. 

83.  Christ,  Turning  from.  G. 
F.  Watts'  famous  picture  illustrating 
"For  he  had  great  possessions"  is 
familiar  to  every  one.  The  artist 
gave  this  account  of  the  rich  young 
ruler :  "I  am  doing  a  man's  back — 
little  else  but  his  back  to  explain 
'He  went  away  sorrowful,  for  he 
had  great  possessions.' "  Fancy  a 
man  turning  his  back  on  Christ  rather 
than  give  away  his  goods !  They 
say  his  back  looks  sorry. 

84.  Christ,  Vision  of.  A  sailor 
had  been  ashore  on  leave  of  absence 
and  returned  at  night  partially  intox- 
icated. The  ship  was  connected  with 
the  wharf  by  only  a  narrow  plank 
about  a  foot  wide,  and  when  he  at- 
tempted to  walk  over  it  he  slipped 
and  fell,  but  succeeded  in  seizing 
hold  of  the  plank.  The  fright  so- 
bered him  and  he  felt  the  plank 
move ;  but  after  a  quiver  or  two  it 


stood  fast  and  he  hung  suspended 
over  the  water.  He  was  afraid  to 
move  lest  he  should  bring  both  plank 
and  himself  down  into  the  water. 
He  shouted  for  help,  but  there  came 
no  reply.  Then  there  came  to  his 
mind  the  text  of  a  sermon  he  had 
heard  at  the  Seaman's  Bethel,  "After 
death  the  judgment."  The  beads  of 
perspiration  were  breaking  out  on 
his  forehead  from  fear  of  death  and 
what  should  follow.  In  that  awful 
moment  there  flashed  before  him, 
direct  from  heaven  it  seemed,  a 
vision  of  Christ  the  Saviour,  and 
in  his  heart  he  accepted  him.  Im- 
mediately there  came  the  message 
that  brought  peace  to  his  guilty  soul. 
He  knew  that  God  had  saved  him, 
that  he  had  passed  from  death  unto 
life.  All  his  anguish  and  fear  of 
death  passed  away.  But  God  had 
work  for  this  man  to  do  yet.  Lights 
began  to  move  on  the  wharf  and  he 
was  discovered  and  rescued.  He  has 
ever  since  blessed  God  or  that  timely 
rescue,  not  only  from  drowning,  but 
from  spiritual  death,  and  has  striven 
ever  since  to  make  known  to  others 
the  good  news  that  Jesus  loves  and 
saves. 

85.  Christ,  Waiting  Our  Will. 
A  man  once  stopped  a  preacher  in 
a  street  of  London,  and  said :  "I 
once  heard  you  preach  in  Paris,  and 
you  said  something  which  I  have 
never  forgotten,  and  which  has, 
through  God,  been  the  means  of 
my  conversion."  "What  was  that?" 
said  the  preacher.  "It  was  that  the 
latch  was  on  our  side  of  the  door. 
I  had  always  thought  that  God  was 
a  hard  God,  and  that  we  must  do 
something  to  propitiate  him.  It  was 
a  new  thought  to  me  that  Christ  was 
waiting  for  me  to  open  to  him." 
The   latch  is  on  our  side. 

86.  Christian,  a  Follower  of 
Christ.  A  gentleman  followed  by 
a  rough-looking  dog  got  into  a  car 
in  Edinburgh.  The  dog  followed  the 
car  in  the  face  of  many  obstacles. 
Soon  after  another  dog  came  up  bent 
on  a  quarrel ;  afterward,  another  yet 
more  determined ;  then  a  third  and 
a  fourth.  He  took  no  notice,  but 
continued  to  follow  his  master — only 
following  and  looking  up.  What  a 
lesson  he  taught  us!  His  one  object 
was  to  follow  his  master,  and  this  he 
did   faithfully. 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      43 


87.  Christian,   Becoming   a.      A 

woman  once  came  to  Mr.  Moody  and 
said:  "Mr.  Moody,  I  would  like  to 
become  a  Christian,  but  I  am  so 
hard-hearted."  He  replied :  "My 
good  woman,  did  the  Master  say : 
'You  soft-hearted  people,  come?' 
Nothing  of  the  kind.  He  said: 
'Come  unto  me' — all  black  hearts, 
vile  hearts,  corrupt  hearts,  deceitful 
hearts — 'all.'  If  your  heart  is  hard, 
who  will  soften  it?  You  can't.  The 
harder  the  heart  the  more  need  there 
is  for  the  Saviour;  so  come  along  and 
get  rest.  If  you  can't  come  as  a 
saint,  come  as  a  sinner;  if  you  can't 
run,  walk;  if  you  can't  walk,  creep 
to  him ;  but  come." 

The  woman  saw  the  force  of 
Moody's  words,  and  went  away  much 
comforted.  In  a  few  days  she  gave 
her   hard   heart   to   Christ. 

88.  Christian,  Becoming  One. 
See  Christ,  Coming  to. 

89.  Christian,  How  to   Become. 

A  sleeping-car  porter,  so  it  is  said, 
was  asked  on  one  occasion  by  Dr. 
Pentecost  if  he  did  not  intend  some 
time  to  become  a  Christian.  To  this 
question  he  made  the  prompt  reply, 
"Oh,  yes,  doctor,  but  I  dreads  de 
process." 

There  are  more  people  than  one 
would  at  first  suppose  who  would 
really  like  to  become  Christians,  but 
who  think  that  the  process  is  a  hard 
and  mysterious  one.  They  are  not 
Christians  because  they  do  not  know 
how  to  enter  the  Christian  life.  Un- 
fortunately there  are  also  many  Sun- 
day-school teachers  and  other  Chris- 
tian workers  who  do  not  know  how 
to  explain  to  young  people  and 
others  the  way  into  the  Christian  life. 

A  girl  came  to  the  superintendent 
of  a  city  Sunday-school  on  one  occa- 
sion, and  asked  him  what  she  should 
do  to  become  a  Christian.  The  su- 
perintendent replied,  "My  good  girl, 
just  go  around  to  the  Rescue  Mission, 
and  they  will  tell  you  there  what 
to  do." 

As  a  matter  of  fact  the  way  to  be- 
come a  Christian  is  so  plain  that  it 
can  be  understood.  To  become  a 
Christian  all  a  person  has  to  do  is 
to  start  and  follow  Christ.  The  way 
to  become  a  farmer  is  to  begin  to 
till  the  soil,  and  the  way  to  become 
a  pianist  is  to  begin  to  take  music 
lessons.     In  like  manner  the  way  to 


become  a  Christian  is  to  go  to  school 
to  Jesus  Christ,  to  find  out  what  he 
wishes  us  to  do,  and  then  do  it. 
The  doing  is  the  important  thing. 
As  Jesus  said  to  Philip,  "Follow 
Me,"  so  to  every  one  in  our  age 
he  says,  "Follow  Me."  This  means, 
to  put  the  matter  very  practically, 
that  in  all  matters  we  are  to  ask, 
"What  would  Jesus  have  me  do?" 
Then  we  are  to  go  forward  steadily 
along  the  path  which  we  feel  he 
would  want  us  to  travel. — Rev.  J. 
Elmer  Russell. 

90.  Christian,  How  to  Become  a. 

A  little  girl  was  playing  in  her  yard 
when  she  fell  down  a  cistern.  Her 
mother,  who  was  near,  quickly  res- 
cued her.  Narrating  her  experience 
to  a  young  friend,  she  was  heard  to 
say,  in  response  to  a  question 
whether  she  was  not  frightened : 
"No,  indeed ;  mamma  told  me  to  put 
my  hands  up  as  far  as  I  could,  and 
she  reached  down  and  did  the  rest." 
That  is  all  God  requires  of  us — to 
reach  up  the  hands  of  faith  as  far 
as  we  can,  and  leave  him  to  com- 
plete his  perfect  work. 

91.  Christian,  How  to  Become  a. 

See  Promises,  Belief  in  Saves. 

92.  Christian,  How  to  Become  a. 

Coming  to  Jesus  is  the  desire  of 
the  heart  after  him.  It  is  to  feel 
our  sin  and  misery,  to  believe  that 
he  is  able  and  willing  to  pardon,  com- 
fort and  save  us,  to  ask  him  to  help 
us  and  to  trust  in  him  as  in  a  friend. 
To  have  just  the  same  feelings  and 
desires  as  if  he  were  visibly  present, 
and  we  came  and  implored  him  to 
bless  us,  is  to  come  to  him  though 
we  do  not  see  his  face  nor  hear  his 
voice.  Repenting  sinner !  Your  very 
desire  for  pardon,  your  prayer, 
"Jesus,  save  me,  I  perish,"  this  is 
coming  to  him. 

93.  Christian,  How  to  Become  a. 

It  is  a  very  simple  thing  to  be  a 
Christian,  so  simple  that  a  little 
child  can  quickly  meet  the  condi- 
tions.    They  are  these : 

First,  frankly  recognize,  as  you  do, 
that  you  are  a  sinner, — that  you  have 
sinned.  God  declares  this  of  all  of 
us.  "All  have  sinned"  (Rom.  3:23). 
"Whosoever  shall  keep  the  whole 
law,  and  yet  offend  in  one  point, 
he  is  guilty  of  all"    (James  2:10). 


44 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


"If  we  say  that  we  have  not  sinned, 
we  make  him  a  liar"  (1  John  1:  10). 

Second,  in  view  of  the  result  of 
your  sin,  recognize  that  you  need  a 
Saviour,  for  "the  wages  of  sin  is 
death"  (Rom.  6:23). — that  is,  not 
mere  physical  death,  but  the  second 
death. 

Third,  tell  God  that  you  know  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God  and, 
by  his  death,  the  Saviour  of  men. 
God  gives  you  his  Word  for  this. 
"This  is  my  beloved  Son"  (Matt. 
1:17).  "God  commendeth  his  love 
toward  us"  (Rom.  5:8).  "He  is 
able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  them 
that  come  unto  God  by  him"  (Heb. 
7:25).  "Neither  is  there  salvation 
in  any  other ;  for  there  is  none  other 
name  under  heaven  given  among  men, 
whereby  we  must  be  saved"  (Acts 
4:12). 

Fourth,  tell  Jesus  that  you  want 
him  to  save  you ;  that  you  give  your- 
self to  him  to  be  saved ;  and  that 
you  accept  him  as  your  Saviour. 
Do  this  on  the  strength  of  these 
words  of  God :  "God  so  loved  the 
world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begot- 
ten Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on 
him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life"  (John  3:16).  "Be- 
lieve on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
thou  shalt  be  saved"    (Acts   16:31). 

Finally,  thank  Jesus  that  he  has 
saved  you,  because  he  says,  "Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  hear- 
eth  my  word,  and  believeth  on  him 
that  sent  me,  hath  everlasting  life, 
and  shall  not  come  into  condemna- 
tion ;  but  is  passed  from  death  unto 
life"  (John  5:24).  "He  that  believ- 
eth on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life" 
(John  3:26). — Sunday-School  Times. 

94.    Christian,  How  to  Become  a. 

The  first  step  is  to  give  up  sin,  and 
trust  Christ  to  save  you  from  it. 
Then  begin  the  Christian  life  in  a 
humble  and  trusting  way,  as  the 
child  begins  the  alphabet  at  school. 
Don't  look  for  marvels.  Don't  ex- 
pect to  see  visions.  Don't  ask  for 
raptures,  but  ask  expectantly  for 
power  to  live  in  a  way  to  please  God. 
Believe  that  the  Spirit  of  Christ  will 
come  into  your  heart,  and  cause  you 
to  love  God  and  delight  in  his  will ; 
not  because  you  feel  happy,  but  be- 
cause you  are  definitely  trusting  him 
to  do  what  he  has  said  he  will  do. 
He  says  that  if  you  will  forsake  your 
sins  he  will  blot  them  out,  and  give 


you  his  Holy  Spirit.  Believe  it,  and 
accept  salvation  as  his  free  gift.  He 
says  he  will  enable  you  to  live  as 
a  child  of  God  should.  Believe  him 
and  undertake  it.  He  says  he  will 
help  you  to  bear  your  troubles.  Trust 
him  and  try  him.  He  says  he  will 
give  you  strength  for  labor,  courage 
for  conflict,  power  to  resist  tempta- 
tion, and  grace  sufficient  for  your 
every-day  need.  Take  him  at  his 
word,  and  you  will  soon  know  for 
yourself  how  blessed  it  is  to  trust 
and  obey.  Commit  yourself  to  the 
new  life  you  have  undertaken  to 
live  by  uniting  with  the  church  of 
your  choice,  and  then  take  your 
duties  as  they  come,  and  perform 
them  in  a  way  you  believe  will  please 
God.  Read  your  Bible  daily,  and 
bring  your  life  into  line  with  what 
it  teaches,  and  your  doubts  will  soon 
be  gone. 

95.  Christian  Life,  Begin  Young. 

See  Young   Christians. 

96.  Christian,  Pledged  to  Christ 
for  Life.     See  Pledged,  for  Life. 

97.  Christians,  Pupils  of  Christ. 
We  should  be  very  glad  that  we  are 
Christ's  disciples.  When  students  of 
music  or  of  art  spend  a  time  with 
some  great  composer  or  master  in 
Europe  they  are  very  proud  when 
they  come  home  to  announce  them- 
selves as  his  pupils.  They  put  it  on 
their  advertisements  and  announce- 
ments and  on  their  professional 
cards.  We  should  regard  it  as  a 
high  honor  to  tell  people  that  we 
are  pupils  of  Christ. — J.  R.  Miller, 
D.D. 

98.  Christian,   Secretly  a.     See 

Discipleship,  Secret. 

99.  Christians,  Extraordinary. 
King's  children  are  never  ordinary. 
Or  if  they  are,  they  ought  not  to  be. 
No  one  who  followed  the  accounts 
of  the  young  Prince  of  Wales'  jour- 
neyings  around  the  world  would  call 
him  ordinary.  He  is  extraordinary 
in  many  ways :  by  birth,  the  son  of 
a  king;  by  heredity,  by  charm,  by 
gifts  and  talents,  by  natural  and  ac- 
quired graces  he  stands  out  from 
among  ordinary  people  wherever  he 
goes.  And  this  is  just  what  one 
would  expect  of  a  prince.  What, 
then,     about     ordinary     Christians? 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      45 


The  Rev.  F.  S.  Webster,  of  the  Kes- 
wick Convention,  has  said :  "There 
are  so  few  people  who  are  really 
keen  upon  being  extraordinarily  de- 
voted and  Christ-like,  and  you  hear 
them  say  with  perfect  complacency, 
'I  do  not  pretend  to  be  a  saint,  I 
am  quite  content  to  be  an  ordinary 
Christian.'  But  is  God  quite  content 
that  you  should  be  what  you  call 
an  ordinary  Christian?  Is  not  any 
Christian,  if  a  real  Christian,  the  ob- 
ject of  extraordinary  love,  the  heir 
of  extraordinary  grace?  Is  not 
every  true  Christian  bound  to  be 
an  extraordinary  character?"  The 
simple  fact,  which  we  may  not  like 
to  admit,  is  that  the  ordinary  Chris- 
tian is  a  sinning  Christian,  one  who 
is  denying  and  wounding  his  royal 
Father  who  has  blessed  him  "with 
every  spiritual  blessing  in  the  heav- 
enly places  in  Christ,"  and  who  is 
eagerly  ready  and  able  to  make  his 
life,  moment  by  moment,  a  convinc- 
ing and  captivating  exhibit  of  the 
royal  blood  that  flows  in  his  veins. 
The  son  of  a  king,  if  a  true  son,  is 
to  be  like  the  king  himself;  and  so 
God  offers  to  enable  us  to  say  that 
"as  he  is,  even  so  are  we  in  this 
world." — Sunday-School  Times. 

100.  Christians,    Half-and-Half. 

Some  people  are  like  the  old  apple 
tree  in  my  father's  back-yard.  It 
was  situated  directly  on  the  line  be- 
tween my  father's  lot  and  our  neigh- 
bor's. When  the  apples  were  ripe 
they  would  fall  on  both  lots,  and  it 
was  a  question  whose  apples  they 
were.  Most  of  them  would  fall 
whichever  way  the  wind  blew. — A.  J. 
Elliot. 

101.  Christians,  Long-faced  a 
Hindrance.  Revivals  are  not 
brought  to  pass  by  long-faced, 
mournful  Christians.  The  overflow- 
ing joy  of  those  in  whom  Christ's 
joy  is  being  made  full  is  a  sure 
pathway  to  a  revival.  And  this  joy 
ought  to  be  as  great  while  the  re- 
vival seems  hopelessly  at  a  distance 
as  after  it  has  blessedly  come  to 
pass.  Rev.  W.  A.  Sunday  startled 
some  Christians  when  he  said,  "The 
man  who  has  to  be  in  a  revival  to 
be  happy  has  a  leak  in  his  faith 
somewhere."  Perhaps  you  need  to 
think  that  over,  and  to  ask  God's 
forgiveness  for  letting  your  own 
sinful  unhappiness  at  the  lack  of  a 


revival  block  the  very  revival  that 
you  were  praying  for. 

102.  Christians,  Only  Half- 
hearted. Off  Cape  Horn  we  wit- 
nessed a  singular  sight.  For  some 
miles  there  was  a  narrow  strip  of 
water,  where  the  great  waves  flew 
in  broken  sprays  and  dashed  high 
over  the  ship.  On  either  side  the 
sea  was  comparatively  calm,  whilst 
this  boiled  with  fury,  rolling  and 
surging.  Yet  there  was  no  rock  about 
which  the  sea  surged,  nor  was  there 
any  such  fierce  wind  as  to  account 
for  it.  Overhead  the  air  was  thick 
with  sea-fowl.  Thousands  of  birds 
dived  into  this  troubled  water.  The 
smaller  fish  were,  I  suppose,  flung 
up  by  the  toss  and  thus  fell  a  prey 
to  the  birds.  I  asked  naturally  what 
was  the  reason  of  this  strange  sight, 
and  found  it  was  the  point  at  which 
the  tide  met  the  strong  current  of 
the  sea,  and  here  they  raged  together. 
Within,  the  tide  only  ran,  and  it  was 
calm.  On  this  troubled  bit  they  met 
and  neither  prevailed.  It  is  the  pic- 
ture of  those  who  are  at  once  too 
religious  to  belong  to  the  world — too 
worldly  to  belong  to  religion ;  torn 
by  both  and  satisfied  by  neither. — 
Mark  Guy  Pearse. 

103.  Church,  Added  to.  Sixty, 
forty,  thirty  years  in  a  Christian 
community,  and  still  waiting  for  the 
first  personal  invitation  from  pastor 
or  people  to  confess  Christ  and  unite 
with  the  church.  People  wondering 
whether  they  were  really  wanted. 

That's  what  was  revealed  by  a  lit- 
tle personal  work  that  added  thirty- 
five  members  to  a  little  country 
church,  a  gain  of  nearly  forty  per 
cent  on  its  resident  membership. 

104.  Church,  Being  Outside.    A 

writer  in  the  Messenger  tells  the  fol- 
lowing: The  best  illustration  that  I 
ever  heard,  showing  the  disadvan- 
tage of  living  a  Christian  life  out- 
side of  the  church,  was  given  me  by 
a  young  convert  whom  I  had  re- 
cently received  into  our  church.  I 
expressed  my  pleasure  in  the  step 
he  had  taken  when  he  replied :  "I  had 
not  made  up  my  mind  to  join  when 
I  came  to  the  meeting  to-night,  but 
while  you  were  talking,  I  thought  it 
was  just  like  buying  a  ticket  to  Chi- 
cago, and  then  riding  on  the  platform. 
I  thought  I  might  as  well  go  inside." 


46 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


105.  Church,    Duty    of    Joining. 

Some  keep  out  of  the  church  because 
they  say  they  are  not  good  enough 
for  it,  but  no  one  is  good  enough 
for  it.  We  join  the  church  because 
we  are  not  good  enough,  because  we 
are  sinners  and  need  a  Saviour,  be- 
cause we  are  weak  and  need  the 
help  of  the  church,  and  because  each 
of  us  is  but  one  and  needs  to  co- 
operate with  others  in  order  to  ac- 
complish his  best  work.— Rev.  R.  P. 
Anderson. 

106.  Church,    Duty    of    Joining. 

Some  say  that  they  are  afraid  to 
join  the  church  because  they  might 
bring  discredit  upon  it  by  their  bad 
actions;  but  by  remaining  outside 
the  church  they  do  what  they  can 
to  discredit  it,  virtually  saying  to  the 
world  that  they  do  not  consider  it 
worth  joining.— A. 

107.  Church  Members,  How 
Counted.  A  gentleman  was  trav- 
eling in  England  on  a  coaching  trip. 
Sitting  on  the  box  with  the  driver 
he  noticed  one  of  the  leaders  that 
seemed  to  be  shirking  his  part  of 
the  work.  "That  horse  does  not 
seem  to  draw  much,"  he  remarked 
to  the  driver.  "Not  an  inch,  sir," 
was  the  reply.  "Why  do  you  have 
him,  then?"  "Well,  you  see,  sir, 
this  here's  a  four-horse  coach,  and 
he  counts  for  one  of  'em."  The  early 
disciples  were  fishers  of  men;  are 
we?  Or  do  we  shirk  the  work  and 
count  only  in  the  dress-parade? 

108.  Church,    Not   in   the.    See 

Parasitism. 

109.  Church,  Persuading  to 
Join.  There  is  a  strange  tribe  of 
natives  in  Africa.  It  is  said  that  they 
never  count.  They  know  nothing  of 
arithmetic.  A  gentleman  asked  one 
of  them  how  many  oxen  he  had. 
"Don't  know,"  replied  the  'native. 
"Then  how  do  you  know  if  one  or 
two  are  missing?"  The  reply  was 
striking  and  beautiful.  "Not  because 
the  number  would  be  less,  but  be- 
cause of  a  face  that  I  would  miss. 
Is  yours  the  missing  face  of  the 
flock?— H. 

no.  Church,  Rooted  in.  There 
is  said  to  be  a  very  odd  tree  in  an 
orchard  near  Milwaukee.  It  is  an 
old     apple    tree    that    was     planted 


twenty-eight  years  ago,  with  its 
limbs  in  the  ground  and  its  roots  in 
the  air.  It  still  lives  to  bear  an  oc- 
casional apple  and  to  sprout  and  bear 
branches  where  roots  should  be  and 
roots  where  twigs  and  leaves  should 
be;  but  it  is  really  of  no  use,  except 
as  a  curiosity  to  beholders.  The 
farmer  was  induced  to  make  the 
trial  through  an  old  German  legend, 
in  which  such  an  inverted  tree  played 
an  important  part.  So  we  say  the 
people  who  try  to  live  Christian  lives 
without  being  planted  in  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  and  letting  their  roots 
run  down  into  the  responsibilities 
of  church  life,  are  very  much  like 
that  inverted  tree.  The  Christians 
who  really  bear  fruit  are  those  who 
are  rooted  deep  and  solid  in  the  gar- 
den of  the  Lord. 

in.  Church,  Welcoming  Sin- 
ners. See  Sinners  Saved,  What 
Kind? 

112.  Clerk,     or     Salesman.    The 

difference  between  a  salesman  and 
a  clerk  is  that  the  salesman  finds 
customers  while  customers  must  find 
the  clerk.  In  business  for  God  are 
you  a  salesman  or  a  clerk?  Must 
sinners  find  you  or  do  you  find  them? 
Does  your  church  find  men  or  must 
men  find  your  church?  One  good 
salesman  is  worth  a  dozen  clerks. 
In  business  for  God,  which  are  you, 
salesman  or  clerk? — H. 

113.  Come,  Say  It.  In  the  des- 
erts, when  caravans  are  in  want  of 
water,  they  send  a  rider  some  dis- 
tance ahead ;  then,  after  a  little  space, 
another  follows ;  and  then,  at  a  short 
distance,  another.  As  soon  as  the 
first  man  finds  water,  before  he 
stoops  to'  drink,  he  shouts  aloud, 
"Come!"  The  next  one  repeats  the 
word,  "Come!"  So  the  shout  is 
passed  along  until  the  whole  wilder- 
ness echoes  with  the  word,  "Come!" 

114.  Compromise,  Not  Accepta- 
ble. When  Nelson  was  asked  by 
his  friend,  Hardy,  to  put  on  a  cloak 
to  hide  his  stars  which  made  him  a 
mark  for  the  French  sharpshooters, 
who  were  huddled  in  the  rigging  of 
the  man-of-war,  he  answered,  "No; 
in  honor  I  got  them,  in  honor  will 
I  wear  them,  in  honor  I  will  die 
with  them,  if  need  be."  And  the 
sun  glittered  on  those  stars,  and  Nel- 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      47 


son  became  a  mark  for  the  foe. 
Duty  to  Christ  is  the  way  to  glory. 
Do  not  fling  on  the  cloak  of  com- 
promise, and  in  a  sneaking  way  hide 
the  uniform  that  you  wear  as  a 
child  of  God.  Let  it  be  seen  by 
men,  by  angels,  by  devils.  "Put  on 
Christ,"  says  Paul.  Let  him  be  your 
uniform,  your  livery,  your  lodestar 
that  will  lead  you  home. 

115.  Confess  Christ.  See  Com- 
promise Not  Acceptable. 

116.  Confess  Christ.  Many  busi- 
ness firms  have  what  are  called  si- 
lent partners.  These  partners  are 
interested  in  the  firm,  but  they  do 
not  work  for  it,  do  not  come  to  busi- 
ness, and  very  often  are  not  known 
to  the  public  at  all.  A  business  man 
once  came  to  a  preacher  and  said 
that  he  wished  to  become  a  Chris- 
tian, but  he  wished  to  be  a  silent 
partner,  that  is,  he  did  not  wish  any 
to  know  that  he  was  a  Christian. 
The  preacher  said  that  Jesus  has  no 
silent  partners.  If  one  comes  to 
him  it  must  be  openly.  We  must 
confess  him,  tell  others  that  we  be- 
long to  him,  and  work,  for  him. — 
Rev.  R.  P.  Anderson. 

117.  Confess  Christ  at  Once.  A 
young  Christian,  who  had  lately  ac- 
cepted Christ  as  his  Saviour,  was 
talking  with  J.  Hudson  Taylor,  the 
missionary.  The  young  man  seemed 
reluctant  to  make  a  public  profession 
before  he  had  learned  more  about 
his  new  Master. 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  Taylor,  "I  have 
a  question  to  ask  you.  When  you 
light  a  candle,  do  you  light  it  to 
make  the  candle  more  comfortable?" 

"Certainly  not,"  said  the  other,  "but 
in  order  that  it  may  give  more 
light." 

"When  does  it  first  become  useful 
— when  it  is  half  burned  down?" 

"No;  as  soon  as  I  light  it." 

"Very  well,"  said  the  missionary 
promptly ;  "go  thou  and  do  likewise ; 
begin  at  once." 

118.  Confess  Christ,  Because  of 
Gratitude.  It  is  told  of  one  of  the 
children  in  a  New  York  hospital, 
who  had  been  under  the  care  of  one 
nurse  for  a  long  time,  that  when 
the  little  fellow  found  out  that  he 
was  to  go  home  cured,  he  put  his 
arm  around  the  neck  of  the  nurse, 


and  said  softly  in  her  ear:  "My 
mamma  will  never  hear  the  last  of 
you." 

Let  us  confess  Christ  out  of  grati- 
tude   for  his   saving  work   for  us. 


119.    Confessing       Christ. 
Christ,  Confession  of. 


See 


120.  Confessing  Christ.  A  young 
man  was  run  over  by  the  cars.  The 
surgeons  in  the  hospital  told  him 
both  legs  must  be  amputated.  The 
chances  were  largely  against  his  re- 
covery and  he  was  told  that  if  he 
had  anything  he  wished  to  say  he 
had  better  speak  at  once.  Several 
of  the  surgeons  were  not  only  not 
Christians,  but  inclined  to  be  anti- 
Christian.  It  was  a  scene  full  of 
pathos.  The  young  man's  face  was 
contracted  with  pain,  but  he  nerved 
himself  to  say :  "My  mother  has  long 
begged  me  to  confess  Christ  openly; 
I  have  never  done  so.  I  regret  be- 
yond all  words  to  express  that  I 
have  neglected  it  so  long,  and  I 
wish  here  and  now  to  declare  my- 
self a  soldier  of  the  cross,  and  to 
express  my  faith  in  Christ  and  what 
he  has  wrought  for  us  by  his  death 
and  resurrection.  I  lift  up  my  heart 
to  him  that  he  may  prepare  me  for 
whatever  comes."  Among  all  those 
men  standing  about  him,  accustomed 
to  scenes  of  pain  and  sorrow,  there 
was  not  one  whose  eyes  did  not  fill 
with  tears  at  the  young  man's  loy- 
alty to  God  and  his  mother. 

121.  Confessing  Christ,  at 
School.  Miss  Havergal  tells  of 
going  away  to  a  boarding  school 
shortly  after  she  joined  the  church. 
When  she  entered  the  school  she 
found  that  she  was  the  only  Chris- 
tian among  one  hundred  girls.  Her 
first  feeling  was  that  she  could  not 
confess  Christ  before  gay  and 
worldly  companions.  Then  the 
thought  came,  "I  am  the  only  one  he 
has  here."  The  thought  strength- 
ened, and  she  was  rewarded  for  her 
courage. — Sunday    School   Chronicle. 

122.  Confessing  Christ,  Avoided. 
See  Christ,  Ashamed  of. 

123.  Confessing  Christ  in  Bap- 
tism.    See  Baptism,  Meaning  of. 

124.  Confessing  Christ  Before 
Men.     At  a   large,    open-air  meet- 


48 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


ing  at  Liverpool,  a  street-corner 
sceptic  gave  a  strong  address  against 
Christianity,  and  at  the  close  flung 
out  the  challenge,  "If  any  man  here 
can  say  a  word  for  Jesus  Christ,  let 
him  come  out  and  say  it !"  Not  a 
man  moved,  but  two  young  girls  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  crowd  pushed 
their  way  to  the  center  and  said : 
■"We  can't  speak,  but  we  will  sing 
for  Christ ;"  and  they  sang,  "Stand 
up,  stand  up  for  Jesus."  Every  head 
in  that  crowd  was  uncovered,  and 
many  men  were  smitten  with  shame. 
— Sunday  at  Home. 

125.  Confessing   Christ,   Openly. 

Too  many  persons  are  represented 
by  a  lieutenant  who  had  gone  through 
many  battles,  during  three  years  of 
war,  without  a  scar,  to  be  mortally 
wounded  by  the  accidental  discharge 
of  a  musket,  whereupon  he  was 
brought  to  deplore  the  relinquish- 
ment of  his  profession.  He  had 
been  an  avowed  Christian  before  he 
had  joined  the  army,  but  did  not 
display  his  colors  there.  When  dy- 
ing, he  sent  for  his  fellow  officers, 
told  them  his  mistake,  and  asked  their 
forgiveness.  While  dying  he  said, 
"Those  three  last  years  keep  com- 
ing back  upon  me.  I  would  like  to 
forget  them." 

126.  Confessing  Christ  Through 
Love.  Why  should  a  man  be  re- 
quired to  love  Christ?  Is  it  not 
enough  to  admire  him  as  the  chief- 
est  among  ten  thousand?  Is  it  not 
enough  to  imitate  him  as  the  ideal 
man? 

A  traveler  who  was  being  rowed 
across  the  Mississippi  by  an  old  ne- 
gro was  surprised  to  see  the  boat- 
man drop  his  oars  suddenly  and 
spring  to  his  feet  in  great  excite- 
ment, shouting,  "Look!  Look! 
Dere's  de  captain !"  On  a  sloop 
coming  down  the  river  stood  a  man 
leaning  against  the  mast.  This  ./as 
"the  Captain,"  at  whom  the  old  ne- 
gro was  frantically  waving  his  hat. 

The  traveler  said  presently,  "Who 
is  this  man?  And  what  has  he  ever 
done  for  you?"  The  answer  was, 
"He's  de  man  dat  saved  me.  I  fell 
into  de  water  an'  he  jumped  in  an' 
flung  his  arms  around  me  and  saved 
me!"  Then  he  added,  "I'd  jes'  like 
to  slave  for  him  all  my  life;  only 
my  rheumatism's  so  bad  I  ain't  no 
good.     He    runs    by    here    once    a 


month,  an'  I  watch  for  him,  an'  I 
love  to  p'int  him  out.  Ain't  he  de 
kindest  lookin'  man  you  ever  saw?  I 
jes'  love  to  p'int  him  out." 

In  view  of  such  a  natural  demon- 
stration of  gratitude  as  this,  one  is 
led  to  wonder  how  it  is  that  any 
man  who  trusts  in  Christ  for  salva- 
tion should  ever  fail  to  love  him. — 
Rev.  David  James  Burrell,  D.D. 

127.  Confession  by  Life  and 
Look.  Jesus  expects  us  to  con- 
fess him  by  our  general  demeanor  as 
well  as  by  our  words.  It  is  said  that 
when  Robert  Murray  McCheyne  died 
there  was  found  on  his  desk  an  un- 
opened letter  which  proved  to  be 
from  a  man  who  wrote  that  he  was  . 
converted,  not  by  anything  Mr.  Mc- 
Cheyne had  said,  but  "by  your  look, 

sir,  as  you  entered  the  pulpit." 

128.  Confession,  of  Christ.  The 
Rev.  George  F.  Pentecost  tells  of  a 
timid  little  girl,  who  wanted  to  be 
prayed  for  at  a  religious  meeting  in 
the  south  of  London.  She  wanted  to 
come  to  Jesus,  and  said  to  the  Chris- 
tian man  who  was  conducting  the 
meeting :  "Will  you  pray  for  me  in 
the  meeting,  please?  But  do  not 
mention  my  name."  In  the  meeting 
which  followed,  when  every  head 
was  bowed  and  there  was  perfect 
silence,  the  gentleman  prayed  for  the 
little  girl,  and  he  said,  "O  Lord, 
there  is  a  little  girl  who  does  not 
want  her  name  known,  but  thou  dost 
know  her ;  save  her  precious  soul." 
There  was  stillness  for  a  moment, 
and  then  way  back  in  that  congre- 
gation a  little  girl  arose,  and  a  plead- 
ing little  voice  said,  "Please,  it's  me; 
Jesus,  it's  me."  She  did  not  want 
to  have  a  doubt.  The  more  she  had 
thought  about  it  the  hungrier  her 
heart  was  for  forgiveness.  She 
wanted  to  be  saved,  and  she  was  not 
ashamed  to  say,  "Jesus,  it's  me." 

129.  Confession  of  Christ,  a 
Quiet.  See  Example,  Of  Good 
Confession. 

130.  Confession  of  Christ,  by 
Soldiers.  See  Christ,  Soldiers  Con- 
fessing. 

131.  Confession  of  Christ,  Out 
and  Out.  At  West  Point,  three 
flags  are  used  on  the  high  flagpole 
at    the    north    end    of    the    parade 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      49 


ground.  One  is  the  storm  flag,  about 
eight  by  four  feet ;  the  other  is  the 
post  flag,  twenty  by  ten  feet;  and 
the  third  is  the  holiday  flag,  thirty- 
six  by  twenty.  In  bad  weather  the 
storm  flag  flies.  Once  a  cadet's 
mother,  interested  in  the  Christian 
character  and  influence  of  her  son, 
asked  him  if  he  kept  his  flag  flying. 
"Yes,  mother,"  he  replied,  "I  keep 
my  storm  flag  flying."  She  was  sat- 
isfied with  this  reply,  not  knowing 
that  it  signified  really  that  he  was 
no  more  pronounced  a  Christian  than 
he  had  to  be.  He  flew  his  smallest 
flag.  That  is  the  way  with  some 
Christians.  They  don't  want  to 
abandon  it  altogether,  but  they  don't 
fly  any  more  colors  than  they  can 
help.  With  some  people,  going  to 
church  once  on  Sunday  is  the  extent 
of  their  open  confession  of  Christian- 
ity. With  others,  it  is  that,  and  now 
and  then  a  Christian  utterance.  But 
the  kind  of  Christians  Christ  wants 
are  the  men  and  women,  _  boys 
and  girls,  who  will  get  out  the  biggest 
flag,  and  fly  it  before  the  world. 

132.  Confession,  of  Christ.  See 
Discipleship,  Secret  or  Open. 

133.  Confession    of    Christ.    See 

Christ  Confessed. 

134.  Confession  Strengthens. 
Seven  years  ago  he  was  an  outcast, 
friendless,  homeless,  the  slave  of 
drink.  But  I  heard  him  say,  last 
night,  that  immediately  on  his  con- 
version he  began  confessing  his  Sav- 
iour, and  during  all  these  seven 
years  he  has  never  failed,  even  in 
any  mixed  company,  to  acknowledge 
himself  a  Christian.  Drink  is  under 
his  feet,  health  is  in  his  nerve  and 
eye,  hope  is  in  his  heart,  heaven  is 
his  sure  goal.  Could  he  have  stood 
so  strongly  had  he  been  weak  and 
laggard  in  the  confession  of  his 
Lord? — Wayland  Hoyt,  D.D. 

135.  Confession,  Through  Grati- 
tude. One  of  the  distinguished 
ministers  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
told  in  a  conference  in  a  western 
city,  that  a  little  boy  who  had  been 
operated  upon  by  Dr.  Lorenz  said, 
as  soon  as  he  came  out  from  under 
the  anesthetic,  "It  will  be  a  long  time 
before  my  mother  hears  the  last  of 
you,  doctor."  And  then,  said  my 
friend,  "I  thought  of  an  incident  in 


my  own  life  of  a  poor  German  boy 
whose  feet  were  twisted  out  of  shape, 
whose  mother  was  poor,  and  could 
not  have  him  operated  upon,  and  I 
determined  to  bring  him  to  a  great 
doctor  and  ask  him  to  take  him  in 
charge.  The  operation  was  over  and 
was  a  great  success.  When  the  plas- 
ter cast  had  been  taken  off  from  his 
feet  my  friend  said  he  went  to  take 
him  home.  He  called  his  attention  to 
the  hospital,  and  the  boy  admired  it, 
but  he  said,  'I  like  the  doctor  best.' 
He  spoke  of  the  nurses,  and  the  boy 
was  slightly  interested,  but  said, 
'They  are  nothing  compared  to  the 
doctor.'  He  called  his  attention  to 
the  perfect  equipment  of  the  hos- 
pital, and  he  was  unmoved  except,  as 
again  and  again,  he  referred  to  the 
doctor.  They  reached  the  Missouri 
town  and  stepped  out  of  the  station 
together,  and  the  old  German 
mother  was  waiting  to  receive  him. 
She  did  not  look  at  her  boy's  face, 
nor  at  his  hands,  but  she  fell  on  her 
knees  and  looked  at  his  feet,  and  then 
said,  sobbing,  'It  is  just  like  any 
other  boy's  foot'  Taken  into  her 
arms,  the  minister  said  all  the  boy 
kept  saying  to  her,  over  and  over, 
was,  'Mother,  you  ought  to  know 
the  doctor  that  made  me  walk.' " — 
Christian  Observer. 

136.  Conquering  to  Save.  There 
is  a  story  of  a  young  knight,  brave, 
manly,  strong,  who  was  victorious 
over  every  foe.  In  every  combat  he 
was  successful  until  he  grew  proud 
and  self-confident.  One  day  he  went 
forth  and  stood  before  the  gate  of  a 
great  castle,  and  uttered  his  chal- 
lenge. There  came  out  a  knight  in 
armor,  and  after  a  brief  combat  de- 
feated him.  When  the  victor  re- 
moved the  armor  he  had  worn,  lo  1  it 
was  a  woman,  clad  in  spotless  white. 
From  henceforth  she  became  the 
guide  of  the  young  man's  life,  lead- 
ing him  to  nobleness  and  glory. 

The  story  is  an  allegory.  The 
white  castle  is  the  castle  of  truth. 
The  white  garment  is  the  symbol  of 
purity.  Truth  and  purity  are  the 
qualities  that  give  strength  and  vic- 
tory and  blessing.  We  never  can 
make  anything  truly  worthy  and  no- 
ble of  our  life  until  we  meet  Christ 
and  are  defeated  by  him,  brought  to 
acknowledge  him  as  our  King  and 
Master.  He  does  not  then  show 
himself,  however,  as  our  enemy,  but 


5Q 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


as  our  friend.  Beneath  the  con- 
queror's armor  we  find  the  heart  of 
love.  He  subdues  us  that  he  may 
save  us.  When  we  yield  to  him  he 
becomes  the  guide  of  our  life,  lead- 
ing us  on  to  nobleness  and  glory. — 
J.  R.  Miller,  D.D. 

137.  Consecrate    Yourself.     See 

Man,  Each  One  Counts. 

138.  Consecration.  "Count  on 
Me."  A  college  student  who  was 
uninterested  in  art,  was  once  per- 
suaded by  his  mother  to  visit  an  art 
gallery  to  view  the  painting  of  the 
"Man  of  Galilee."  After  viewing  it 
from  every  angle,  an  attendant  who 
had  observed  how  earnestly  and  with 
what  great  interest  he  had  studied 
the  picture,  said  to  him — "Great  pic- 
ture, isn't  it?" — Yes,  it  is  a  great 
picture  and  is  well  named  the  "Man 
of  Galilee." 

Then  the  student  again  softly 
stepped  up  to  the  painting  and  said, 
"O  man  of  Galilee,  if  I  can,  in  any 
way,  help  you  to  do  your  work  in 
the  world,  you  can  count  on  me" — 
"count  on  me." 

May  there  be  a  response  in  our 
hearts  as  we  look  to  the  Christ. 
Will  he  be  able  to  count  on  us? 

139.  Consecration,  Full  or  Im- 
perfect? See  Power,  Men  Trans- 
mit Imperfectly. 

140.  Consecration.  "Send  Me." 
At  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War, 
President  Lincoln  issued  a  call  for 
75,000  volunteers.  Patriots  to  the 
number  of  300,000  responded.  What 
an  inspiration  it  must  have  been  to 
the  President,  burdened  as  he  was 
with  the  cares  of  State  and  the 
preparation  for  war,  to  find  so  many 
brave  men  who  were  willing  to  give 
their  services  and  their  lives  for  their 
country !  In  the  great  world  contest 
between  good  and  evil,  God  never 
needed  brave,  intelligent  fighters  more 
than  at  the  present  moment.  While 
the  dark  places  of  both  foreign  and 
home  lands  are  calling  loudly  for 
help,  may  each  of  us  gladly  respond 
to  the  call  of  the  Great  Commander- 
in-Chief  for  volunteers  by  saying, 
"Here  am  I ;  send  me." — H.  A.  Gra- 


141.    Conversion.     One    may    be 
walking   through    the    woods    above 


Lake  Itasca,  and,  scarcely  thinking 
of  what  he  is  doing,  step  across  a 
tiny  stream  near  where  it  gushes  out 
at  a  pretty  spring  among  the  rocks 
and  turns  toward  the  sunny  South- 
land. 

Suppose  he  does  not  step  across 
there,  but  walks  on  and  on  beside  it, 
waiting  for  a  better  place  or  seeing 
no  necessity  of  the  step.  And  sup- 
pose that  by  and  by  he  wants  very 
much  to  be  on  the  other  side  of  the 
great  Mississippi  River ;  will  it  not 
take  a  great  deal  of  effort,  and  will 
not  the  crossing  make  a  profound 
impression  upon  his  mind?  Yet  once 
over,  he  will  not  be  any  more  defi- 
nitely on  the  other  side  than  had  he 
stepped  across  the  Itasca  rivulet. 

Such  is  the  crossing  we  call  con- 
version,— when  the  heart  of  a  man 
comes  over  to  the  side  of  the  Great 
Leader. 

Early  in  life,  owing  to  inheritance, 
home  training,  or  Christian  compan- 
ionship, it  is  an  easy  step.  It  is  nat- 
ural ;  it  may  be  taken  with  eyes  look- 
ing upward.  But  the  farther  he  goes, 
the  wider,  deeper,  and  fiercer  the 
current  that  divides.  Crossing  then 
takes  struggle  and  will-power  and 
courage ;  and  when  at  last  accom- 
plished, he  has  a  sense  of  victory 
that  forever  abides  in  his  conscious- 
ness. 

But  even  so,  the  mature  or  aged 
convert  is  no  more  on  the  other  side 
than  he  who  stepped  lightly  and  light- 
heartedly  over  in  the  days  of  youth, 
who  all  these  years  has  come  walking 
serenely  on  toward  the  land,  not  of 
sunshine,  but  of  Eternal  Glory. — 
Lee  McCrae. 

142.  Conversion,  Bible  Means  to. 

See  Bible,  Means  to  Conversion. 

143.  Conversion  Is  Right  About 
Face.  A  young  soldier,  who  had 
led  a  careless,  life,  but  had  become 
afterward  a  Christian,  described  very 
well  the  change  that  had  been 
wrought  in  him  when  he  said — "Jesus 
Christ  said  to  me,  Right  about  face ! 
And  I  heard  and  obeyed  him  in  my 
heart."  That  is  exactly  what  we  call 
"conversion."  It  is  a  turning-about 
of  the  face — from  the  world  to  God. 
But  with  the  face  it  is  a  turning  also 
of  the  heart. — C.  A.   Salmond. 

144.  Conversion,  Oh,  What  a 
Change.     See   Blindness,   Spiritual. 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      51 


145.  Conversion,    of    a    Soldier. 

"You  say,  was  I  a  Christian?  Not 
me !  I  was  wild  and  going  to  the 
devil,"  said  the  Canadian  lad.  "But 
one  night  1  was  wounded  and  lay  in 
a  deserted  shell  hole,  shot  through 
the  thigh,  and  unable  to  move  for 
fifteen  hours.  I  was  feeling  for  a 
cigarette  in  my  pocket  to  ease  the 
pain  a  bit,  but  all  I  could  find  was  a 
little  pocket  Testament  which  some 
one  had  given  me,  but  which  I  had 
never  read.  I  managed  to  get  it  out 
and,  thinking  it  might  be  my  last 
hour,  and  that  I  might  never  be 
found,  I  started  to  read  to  try  and 
forget  my  wound.  I  read  the  twenty- 
seventh  chapter  of  Matthew,  and,  sir, 
that  little  book  changed  my  life.  I 
have  read  a  chapter  every  day  since 
then.  I  was  picked  up  by  the  in- 
fantry and  carried  to  a  hospital.  One 
night  when  I  could  not  sleep  for  the 
pain,  the  nurse  asked  me  if  she  could 
do  anything  for  me,  and  I  asked  her 
to  read  the  Bible  to  me.  She  said 
she  had  never  read  it  in  her  life, 
and  I  said  it  was  about  time  she 
began,  if  that  was  so.  After  she 
read  it,  she  said  it  helped  her,  too. 
Yes,  I  say  my  prayers  on  my  knees 
in  the  tent  now.  Another  boy  has 
joined  me  this  week;  and  the  lan- 
guage in  the  tent  is  getting  better. 
I'm  off  to  the  front  to-morrow  to 
take  my  turn  again.  But  I'm  no 
longer  alone  up  there  in  the  trenches. 
It's  different  now." 

146.  Conversion,  of  Children. 
See  Children  Becoming  Christians. 

147.  Conversion,  of  Prize  Fight- 
er. See  Preaching,  By  a  Con- 
verted Prize  Fighter. 

148.  Conversion,  the  Change  It 
Makes.  See  Religion,  the  Change 
It  Makes. 

149.  Convert,  Importance  of 
One.  It  had  been  a  dull  year  in 
the  church  where  Moffat  was  con- 
verted. The  deacons  finally  said  to 
the  old  pastor ;  "We  love  you,  pas- 
tor, but  don't  you  think  you  had 
better  resign?  There  hasn't  been  a 
convert  this  year."  "Yes,"  he  re- 
plied, "it  has  been  a  dull  year — 
sadly  dull  to  me.  Yet  I  mind  me 
that  one  did  come,  wee  Bobby  Mof- 
fat. But  he  so  wee  a  bairn  that  I 
suppose  it  is  not  right  to  count  him." 


A  few  years  later  Bobby  came  to  the 
pastor  and  said,  "Pastor,  do  you 
think  that  I  could  ever  learn  to 
preach?  I  feel  within  here  some- 
thing that  tells  me  that  I  ought  to. 
If  I  could  just  lead  souls  to  Christ, 
that  would  be  happiness  to  me."  The 
pastor  answered,  "Well,  Bobby,  you 
might;  who  knows?  At  least  you 
can  try !"  He  did  try,  and  years  later 
when  Robert  Moffat  came  back  from 
his  wonder  work  in  Africa  the  Kinj< 
of  England  rose  and  uncovered  hi 
his  presence,  and  the  British  Parlia- 
ment stood  as  a  mark  of  respect. 
The  humble  old  preacher,  who  had 
but  one  convert,  and  who  was  so 
discouraged,  is  dead  and  forgot- 
ten, and  yet  that  was  the  greatest 
year's  work  he  ever  did — and  few 
have  equaled  it. — Young  People's 
Weekly. 

150.  Convert,  Sylvester  Horn's 
Last.  The  following  touching 
story  concerning  the  death  of  Rev. 
Sylvester  Home,  was  told  by  one  of 
the  British  delegates  to  the  Pilgrim 
Tercentenary  in  Boston.  This  dele- 
gate was  traveling  on  a  St.  Lawrence 
steamer  on  his  way  to  the  Council. 
Suddenly  he  remembered  the  tragic 
circumstances  connected  with  the 
death  several  years  ago  of  Mr. 
Home.  Addressing  the  captain  one 
day  he  asked,  "Do  you  happen  to 
remember,  Captain,  the  death  a  few 
years  ago  on  one  of  these  St.  Law- 
rence river  boats  of  an  English 
preacher  named  Sylvester  Home?" 
The  captain  answered  quietly  but 
with  deep  feeling,  "I  certainly  do. 
It  was  on  this  very  boat."  He  then 
showed  the  English  visitor  the  pre- 
cise spot  where  the  saintly  man  fell. 
"I  chanced  to  see  him  fall  and  ran 
toward  him.  He  died  instantly. 
His  wife  holding  his  head  called  out 
in  agony,  'Are  you  dead  ?'  then  turned 
to  me,  'Captain,  is  my  husband  really 
dead?'  I  nodded  yes  and  ordered 
some  sailors  to  carry  the  body  into 
my  cabin.  Come  on  in,  I  want  you 
to  see  the  cabin."  As  the  minister 
entered  the  captain's  room  he  noticed 
a  beautifully  framed  photograph  of 
the  deceased  prophet.  Then  he  re- 
sumed the  story :  "But  when  we 
brought  his  body  into  this  cabin, 
that  was  not  the  end  of  the  tale. 
Mrs.  Home  came  in  and  immedi- 
ately kneeled  down  beside  his  body. 
She    turned    to    me — 'Captain,    you 


52 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


must  kneel.'  I  was  not  a  kneeling 
man — in  fact,  I  was  altogether  in- 
different to  religion.  But  I  hesi- 
tated only  a  second,  then  knelt.  Her 
prayer  was  the  simplest,  most  beau- 
tiful, most  natural  prayer  I  ever 
heard.  She  mentioned  all  the  chil- 
dren by  name,  the  church  and  vari- 
ous causes  that  had  been  dear  to  her 
husband's  heart.  Do  you  know,  I 
have  never  been  able  to  escape  from 
that  prayer.  It  brought  me  to  Christ. 
I  am  now  a  professed  Christian,  and 
whenever  I  can  I  attend  the  little 
church  of  which  I  have  become  a 
member.  I  was  Sylvester  Home's 
last  convert." 

151.  Cost,    Counting    the.    Two 

young  soldiers  were  talking  about 
the  service  of  Christ.  One  of  them 
said :  "I  can't  tell  you  all  that  the 
Lord  Jesus  is  to  me.  I  do  wish  that 
you  would  enlist  in  his  army."  "I 
am  thinking  about  it,"  answered  his 
comrade,  "but  it  means  giving  up 
several  things ;  in  fact,  I  am  count- 
ing the  cost."  An  officer  passing  at 
that  moment  heard  the  remark,  and 
laying  his  hand  on  the  shoulder  of 
the  speaker  he  said :  "Young  friend, 
you  talk  of  counting  the  cost  of 
following  Christ ;  but  have  you  ever 
counted  the  cost  of  not  following 
him?"  For  days  that  question  rang 
in  the  ears  of  the  young  man,  and 
he  found  no  rest  till  he  sought  it  at 
the  feet  of  the  Saviour  of  sinners, 
whose  faithful  soldier  and  servant 
he  has  now  been  for  twenty-seven 
years. 

152.  Crisis  Moments  in  the  Spir- 
itual Life.  There  are  critical  hours 
that  come  into  every  life.  Some  of 
these  have  to  do  with  worldly  mat- 
ters. "There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs 
of  men  which,  taken  at  its  flood, 
leads  on  to  fortune."  If  the  astron- 
omer wishes  to  see  the  transit  of 
Venus,  after  his  months  of  prepara- 
tion there  comes  a  critical  hour  when 
he  must  not  sleep,  but  be  awake  and 
alert  and  watchful.  There  often 
comes  a  critical  hour  in  sickness,  as 
in  a  fever,  when  the  life  of  the  pa- 
tient depends  on  the  watchfulness  of 
the  nurse  and  faithfulness  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  medicine. 

But  let  us  not  forget  that  there 
are  critical  hours  in  spiritual  matters, 
also.  This  is  especially  true  in  the 
matter  of  the  soul's  salvation.     One 


may  be  very  near  to  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  yet  not  in  it. — H. 

153.  Cross,  the  Message  of.  In 
a  sermon  in  Mansfield  Chapel,  Ox- 
ford, Dr.  Selbie  told  this  daring 
story:  "There  was  a  young  French- 
man who  loved  a  courtesan.  This 
woman  hated  her  lover's  mother,  and 
when  in  his  passion  he  offered  her 
any  gift  in  return  for  her  love,  she 
answered,  'Bring  me  then  your  moth- 
er's bleeding  heart.'  And  he,  in  his 
madness,  killed  his  mother,  and 
plucking  out  her  heart,  hurried  by 
night  through  the  streets,  carrying  it 
to  the  cruel  woman  to  whom  he  had 
given  his  soul.  But  as  he  went  he 
stumbled,  and  fell,  and  from  the 
bleeding  heart  came  an  anxious 
voice,  'My  son,  are  you  hurt?'  Not 
even  murder  could  kill  that  mother's 
love ;  it  lived  on  in  the  torn  heart. 
And  this  is  the  message  of  the  cross. 

154.  Cross,    the    Way    of.    The 

parting  of  the  ways  is  at  the  cross. 
From  that  point  they  deviate  forever. 
I  look  up  and  read,  "This  way  to 
heaven,"  "This  way  to  the  second 
death."  Stop,  O  man,  and  think,  if 
you  are  inclined  to  take  the  wrong 
road. 

"The  ways  diverge, 
I  stand  and  look  them  o'er, 

And  hot  thoughts  surge 
About  my  heart,  the  more 
I  look  at  them,  and  yet  I  know 
I  must  choose  one  by  which  to  go. 

Which  shall  it  be? 
This  one  is  flower-strewn; 

That  one,  I  see, 

Is  narrow  and  rock-hewn,        , 
Steep  and  forbidding,  dark  and  grim, 
Yet  Christ  walked  there. 

I'll  walk  with  him." 

155.  Danger,  Becoming  Aware 
of.  Some  years  ago  on  the  Irish 
Sea  a  terrible  storm  was  raging.  It 
was  known  that  just  off  the  coast  a 
vessel  "/as  going  to  pieces.  Suddenly 
two  men,  an  old  sea  captain  and  his 
son,  put  out  through  the  storm. 
Everybody  tried  to  persuade  them  not 
to  do  so,  for  it  seemed  to  be  abso- 
lutely useless.  Over  the  waves, 
which  appeared  almost  mountain 
high,  they  pushed  along,  until  at  last, 
amid  the  cheers  of  the  waiting 
throng,  they  returned  with  their  lit- 
tle  boat   filled   with  those   who  had 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      53 


?,-?en  all  but  lost  upon  the  ship. 
When  the  minister  said  to  the  old 
sea  captain,  "Why  do  you  do  this? 
Why  take  such  a  risk?"  he  answered, 
"I  have  been  there  myself,  and  I 
know  the  danger."  It  is  because  we 
have  been  there  once  in  sin  and  now 
are  redeemed  by  the  precious  blood 
of  Christ  that  we  may  say  some- 
thing to  those  who  are  about  us. — 
Rev.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  D.D. 

156.  Danger  Signals.  To  test 
the  attention  paid  to  signals  by  their 
engineers,  some  of  the  officials  of 
one  of  our  great  railways  recently  set 
the  signal  meaning  "Stop  and  inves- 
tigate." Twenty-four  trains  went 
past  it,  their  engineers  paying  no  at- 
tention to  it  whatever.  The  twenty- 
fifth  heeded  it.  How  forcibly  this 
may  be  applied  to  men's  heedlessness 
of  moral  signals.  Only  the  excep- 
tional man  heeds  them. 

157.  Day,  Importance  of  One. 
See  Time,   Redeeming  the. 

158.  Deaf  to  God's  Call.  See 
Call  of  God. 

159.  Decide  Now.  See  Call,  the 
Last. 

160.  Decision,  a  Stray  Man's. 
He  was  a  big-muscled  college  stud- 
ent, a  member  of  the  football  squad, 
a  kind-hearted  fellow  with  a  weak- 
ness for  questionable  "good-fellow- 
ship." I  knew  his  mother  was  pray- 
ing for  him,  and  she  had  asked  me 
to  do  my  best  to  lead  him  into  the 
Christian  life.  One  night  after  a 
revival  service  I  said :  "Sam,  you 
ought  to  be  a  Christian." 

"I  know  it,"  he  replied  at  once. 

Seeing  that  he  really  wanted  to  be- 
gin the  better  life,  I  talked  with 
him  briefly  on  the  value  of  deciding 
at  once.  The  next  evening  he  made 
an  open  confession  of  his  surrender 
to  Christ.  Later  in  a  men's  meeting 
I  heard  him  say  that  it  was  the  few 
personal  words  and  the  personal  re- 
gard for  his  welfare  that  decided 
him.  The  last  I  heard  from  him, 
he  was  leading  an  earnest  Christian 
life. 

161.  Decision,  Braces  Thought. 
In  a  recent  great  revival,  the  evan- 
gelist, Dr.  Biederwolf,  called  upon 
those  who  had  become  Christians  be- 


tween the  ages  of  ten  and  twenty  to 
rise.  The  great  majority  of  the  Chris- 
tians present  rose.  Then  a  smaller 
number  between  twenty  and  thirty, 
and  then  on  until  in  the  forties  and 
fifties  and  sixties  hardly  any  at  all. 
Those  who  had  thought  the  longest 
overthe  matter  had  the  least  to  show 
for  it,  and  so  it  seems  that  there  is 
a  point  beyond  which  thought  ceases 
to  be  powerful  and  defeats  itself. 
Decision  braces  up  and  invigorates 
thought  even  more  than  thought  does 
decision. 

In  Kipling's  poem,  "The  Battle  of 
Lung-Tung-Pen,"  the  old  sergeant 
tells  how  that  battle  would  never  have 
been  fought  or  won  or  even  com- 
menced had  it  been  left  to  seasoned 
soldiers  and  their  judgment.  It  was 
won  by  almost  boys  who  were  too 
green  to  know  the  difficulties,  and 
their  ignorance  was  bliss.  It  is  so 
in  life.  The  best  things  are  often 
done  by  those  who  do  not  know  half 
the  difficulties,  and  do  not  want  to 
know  them  until  afterward. 

Beecher  tells  the  story  of  a  man 
who,  in  a  night  of  terrible  storm 
which  had  wrecked  everything,  had 
to  cross  a  certain  bridge.  The  bridge 
was  half-wrecked,  and  in  the  dark- 
ness he  could  only  grope  his  way  foot 
by  foot  from  one  sound  support  to 
another  and  over  yawning  gaps 
around  which  he  had  to  feel  his  way. 
At  last,  after  weary  efforts  which  had 
exhausted  his  strength,  he  reached 
the  other  side,  and  when  the  light 
came  up  and  he  looked  back  upon 
that  wrecked  structure  and  saw  what 
dangers  he  had  crossed  he  fainted 
away.  Darkness  had  been  his  friend. 
By  daylight  he  would  never  have 
started.  It  is  better  to  faint  at  the 
end  than  at  the  beginning. 

There  are  glorious  things  that  _  we 
dream  of  as  far  distant,  and  we  might 
have  some  of  them  within  fifteen 
minutes  if  we  wanted  to.  There  are 
good  things  we  plan  to  do,  but  we 
think  that  things  so  good  will  require 
at  least  a  year  in  order  to  do  them. 
They  could  be  best  done  this  morn- 
ing. There  is  no  guarantee  about 
whether  they  can  be  done  in  a  year. 
That  is  a  very  precarious  matter. 
Most  likely  a  year  will  render  them 
impossible. 

So  Christ  comes  and  touches  the 
stupor  of  our  thoughts.^  and  plunges 
us  into  the  glow  of  action.  What  a 
relief!     When   we   are   facing,   with 


54 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


dismay,  another  long,  wearisome  pe- 
riod of  deliberation,  canvassing  of 
doubts  and  difficulties  and  fears  and 
opposition,  he  lifts  us  into  some 
quick,  sane,  joyous  activity.  He  sets 
us  on  our  feet  and  on  our  way.  By 
nightfall  we  look  back  on  actual 
things,  either  begun  or  wholly  ac- 
complished. 

Thi^re  are  vital  and  important  things 
waiting  for  us,  and  they  must  be 
seized  suddenly  or  not  at  all.  They 
are  swift  and  passing.  There  are 
things  which  are  best  obtained  by 
prolonged  consideration,  there  are 
others  which  are  not.  How  many  of 
the  great  things  in  the  history  of 
God's  chosen  people  were  done  at  a 
stroke ! 

Shut  the  door  on  your  thoughts. 
They  have  had  their  full  share  of 
your  strength.  The  best  that  can 
come  to  you  now  is  something  done 
suddenly.  God  is  all  ready  for  such 
action  on  the  part  of  men. — Sunday 
School  Times. 

162.  Decision,   by   Indian    Girls. 

India  has  decision  Sabbaths  as  well 
as  America.  We  are  told  that  on  one 
such  day  thirty  girls  in  Bengal  signed 
the  following  stanza,  which  they  can 
sing  if  they  will  to  the  air  of  "Just 
as  I  Am."    Thus  : 

"Just  as   I   am,  young,   strong  and 

free, 
To  be  the  best  that  I  can  be 
For  truth,  and   righteousness,   and 
Thee, 
Lord  of  my  life,  I  come." 

Fourteen  of  these  girls  have  since 
been  baptized  and  others  are  ready  to 
take  this  step. 

163.  Decision,  Call  to.  See  Call 
to  Decision. 

164.  Decision  Day.  Even  those 
members  of  the  church  who  are  not 
directly  connected  with  the  Sunday 
School  can  do  much  for  the  success 
of  Decision  Day.  They  should  join 
with  the  parents  and  Bible-school 
workers  in  especial  prayer  for  God's 
blessing  upon  the  efforts  put  forth 
in  behalf  of  the  children ;  they 
should  be  as  solicitous  for  and  as 
active  in  behalf  of  the  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  the  little  ones  in  the  house- 
hold of  faith  as  they  are  for  the 
physical  and  intellectual  welfare  of 
the  children  in  their  homes. 


165.  Decision  Day  Hint.  Hold 
your  scholars  to  the  main  question — 
the  character  and  claims  of  Christ. 
Always  you  can  show  them  that  de- 
ciding for  Christ  means  trusting  him 
for  all  things,  the  honest  intention  to 
obey  him  in  all  things,  and  saying 
this  before  men. 

166.  Decision  Delayed  is  a  Riv- 
eted Nail.  A  laboring  man,  con- 
verted after  a  period  of  deep  convic- 
tion, said  to  those  around  him,  "Boys, 
what's  the  biggest  wonder  you  ever 
saw?"  He  repeated  his  question,  and 
then  said,  "Oh,  isn't  it  to  see  an  old 
grey-haired  sinner  like  me  saved  at 
the  eleventh  hour?  Oh,  you  are 
young — you  are  in  the  early  hours  of 
life's  day!  Come,  it's  far  easier  for 
you  to  get  saved  now  than  if  you 
wait  as  I  did.  Oh,  sin's  a  nail  the 
devil  drives  into  the  heart;  and  when 
it  gets  riveted  it's  hard  to  pull  out." 

167.  Decision,  for  Christ.  The 
following  entry  was  found  in  a  boy's 
diary:  "September  21,  19 — .  Made 
up  my  mind  to-day  to  be  a  Christian. 
No  fooling  this  time."  There  is  a 
suggestion  here  for  all  who  profess 
surrender  to  the  blessed  Lord. 

168.  Decision,    for    Christ.     The 

habit  of  indecision  is  one  of  the  hard- 
est of  all  habits  to  overcome.  A 
weak  will  weakens  the  whole  life. 
Decision  is  needed  to  conquer  any 
bad  habit ;  how  much  more  the  habit 
of  indecision ! 

The  only  safety  when  we  have 
anything  that  we  should  do  is  to  do 
it  at  once.  Every  day's  delay  makes 
it  harder  to  do. 

When  we  once  decide  for  Christ, 
every  other  good  decision  is  instantly 
made  easier.  No  other  decision  is 
so    economical    of     effort     as     that 


169.    Decision,   for   Christ,   Now. 

An  old  Scotch  farmer  had  been  ap- 
proached again  and  again  by  the  local 
representative  of  a  fire  insurance 
company  to  protect  his  farm  against 
fire.  "Na,  na !"  the  old  man  would 
reply,  with  a  wise  shake  of  his  head. 
"Ma  f airm  'ull  nae  gang  on  fire !" 
Then  one  fateful  day  the  unex- 
pected happened.  The  neighbors  were 
astonished  to  see  the  farmer  racing 
up  and  down  the  village  street  in- 
stead   of    helping    to    put    out    the 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      55 

to  be  made  instantly.     Make  instant 
decision    for   Christ. — H. 


flames.  As  he  ran  he  shouted: 
"Sandy !  Sandy !  Whaur's  that  in- 
surance chap?  It's  awfu'  that  ye 
canna  find  a  body  when  ye're  needin' 
him !"  That  was  no  time  to  decide. 
The  time  for  you  to  decide  for 
Christ   is    now. — H. 

170.  Decision,  Importance  of. 
See  Character,  Crises  In. 

171.  Decision,  Immediate.  The 
steamship  Central  America,  on  a 
voyage  from  New  York  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, sprung  a  leak  in  mid-ocean. 
A  vessel  seeing  her  signal  of  distress 
bore  down  toward  her  and  the  cap- 
tain of  the  rescue  ship  cried,  "Let 
me  take  your  passengers  on  board 
now."  But  it  was  night  and  the 
commander  of  the  Central  America 
feared  to  send  his  passengers  away 
in  the  darkness,  and,  thinking  they 
could  keep  afloat  a  while  longer,  re- 
plied, "Lie  by  till  morning."  About 
an  hour  and  a  half  later  her  lights 
were  missed.  All  on  board  perished, 
because  it  was  thought  they  could 
be  saved  better  at  another  time. 
"Now  is  the   accepted  time." 

172.  Decision,  Instant.  A  young 
woman  once  refused  to  come  to  the 
Saviour,  saying,  "There  is  too  much 
to  give  up."  "Do  you  think  God 
loves  you?"  "Certainly."  "How 
much  do  you  think  he  loves  you?" 

She  thought  a  moment  and  an- 
swered, "Enough  to  give  his  Son 
to  die  for  me."  "Do  you  think  if 
God  loved  you,  he  will  ask  you  to 
give  up  anything  it  is  for  your  good 
to  keep?"  "No."  "Do  you  wish  to 
keep  anything  that  is  not  for  your 
good   to   keep?"     "No." 

"Then  you  had  better  come  to 
Christ  at  once."     And  she  did. 

173.  Decision,  Instant.  See  Op- 
portunity,  Now. 

174.  Decision,  Must  Be  Instantly 
Made.  An  aviator  told  me  recently 
that  when  you  loop  the  loop  in  an 
aeroplane  it  is  necessary  to  move  the 
control  stick  in  just  the  right  direc- 
tion when  you  get  to  the  point  where 
you  are  upside  down,  in  order  to 
complete  the  loop.  If  you  fail  to 
do  this,  you  begin  to  come  down 
head    first. 

Every  day  there  are  decisions  that 
you  and  I  have  to  make.    They  have 


175.  Decision  Needed.  A  farmer 
who  was  far  along  in  life  was  one 
evening  leisurely  driving  his  cows 
home  from  pasture,  when  his  thoughts 
ran  like  this:  "Here  I  am  getting 
old,  and  yet  I  am  not  a  Christian ; 
when  is  this  matter  to  be  settled? 
I  fear  never,  if  I  don't  commence 
soon  to  think  on  the  subject."  And 
then  the  thought  came  up,  "Why  not 
settle  it  at  once?  Why  not  be  a 
Christian   without   further  delay?" 

This  came  so  forcibly  home  to  his 
conscience  that  he  exclaimed,  "I  will 
be  a  Christian  now !  This  night  shall 
decide  it;"  and,  strange  as  it  may 
appear,  he  was  at  once  enabled  to 
give  his  heart  to  God  and  go  on 
his  way  rejoicing. 

Sometimes  it  appears,  as  in  this 
case,  that  all  that  is  needed  is  de- 
cision. And,  in  any  case,  when  the 
point  of  decision  is  reached,  the 
blessing  comes,  for  with  decision 
comes  the  willingness  to  give  up  all 
for  Christ. — American  Messenger. 

176.  Decision,  Need  of.  A  prom- 
inent merchant  in  one  of  our  great 
cities  said  that  one  Sunday  he  went 
to  church  in  Cleveland  and  heard  the 
minister  preach  about  accepting 
Christ.  It  was  no  new  theme  to  the 
merchant.  He  had  meant  to  do  it 
all  his  life  and  he  had  always  thought 
of  it.  He  wondered  whether  the 
minister  would  say  anything  new 
about  it,  anything  that  would  make 
it  more  feasible.  Nothing  was  said 
but  what  he  had  heard  a  hundred 
times  before.  And  then  it  dawned 
upon  him  that  probably  nothing  ever 
would  be.  It  had  all  been  said.  Any 
new  element  that  could  come  into  the 
situation  could  come  only  from  action 
on  his  own  part.  Man  enough  to  see 
the  point,  he  shut  the  door  on  his 
thoughts.  He  had  more  than  done 
justice  by  them.  They  had  had  his 
attention  for  more  than  thirty  years 
of  his  life,  and  he  was  now  a  man 
of  fifty  and  not  saved.  Without  an- 
other thought  he  went  to  the  minis- 
ter then,  after  that  service,  and  told 
him  that  he  accepted  Christ,  and 
that  as  soon  as  it  could  be  arranged 
he  would  do  it  publicly.  After  his 
action  there  was  plenty  more  to  think 
about.  Thought  was  no  longer  a  dull, 
brooding,  poisonous,  stupefying  proc- 


56 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


ess.  All  first-rate  thought  is  more 
than  half  action.  And  there  was 
nothing  lacking  in  this  man's  decision 
because  it  was  done  suddenly.  The 
suddenness  of  it  was  the  saving  thing. 
And  so  all  of  us,  in  a  dozen  dif- 
ferent directions,  are  administering 
an  opiate  to  ourselves  by  professing 
that  we  wish  a  longer  time  to  think 
a  matter  over.  We  fancy  we  are 
dealing  delicately  and  finely  with  the 
matter  when,  in  reality,  we  are  blunt- 
ing and  coarsening  the  fine  capacity 
for  action,  and  when  that  is  dulled 
life  has  no  more  zest.  Shakespeare 
gave  us  Hamlet  as  the  visible  sum- 
mary of  the  miseries  of  the  indecisive 
soul  who  can  no  longer  act,  but  only 
see  and  think  and  ponder. — Sunday- 
School  Times. 

177.  Decision,   the    Diver's.     A 

professional  diver  has  in  his  home 
two  oyster  shells  with  a  piece  of 
printed  paper  fastened  between  them. 
While  diving  one  day,  he  observed 
at  the  bottom  of  the  sea  an  oyster 
on  a  rock  with  this  paper  in  its 
mouth.  He  detached  the  oyster,  and 
held  the  paper  close  to  the  goggles 
of  his  head-dress,  and  in  reading  it 
found  it  to  be  a  little  Gospel  tract 
earnestly  calling  upon  whosoever 
should  read  it  to  repent  at  once  and 
give  his  heart  to  God.  He  said,  "I 
cannot  hold  out  any  longer  against 
God's  mercy  since  it  pursues  me  thus." 
And  down  there  at  the  bottom  of 
the  sea,  he  repented  and  breathed  out 
his  heart  to  God  in  prayer. — From 
the  "Fisherman  and  His  Friends." 

178.  Decision,     While    Young. 

See  Young  People,   Appeal  to." 

179.  Dedication,  of  Self. 

I  take  God  to  be  my  Father. 

I  take  Jesus  Christ  to  be  my  Sa- 
viour. 

I  take  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be  my 
Guide. 

I  take  the  Bible  to  be  the  rule  of 
my   life. 

I  take  Christian  people  to  be  my 
associates. 

I  take  Christian  work  to  be  my 
duty. 

I  likewise  dedicate  myself  to  the 
Lord,  and  this  I  do  freely,  deliber- 
ately, sincerely  and  forever. 

180.  Delay,  Danger  of.  A  friend 
of  mine  laboring  in  a  Southern  city 


returned  to  the  South,  and,  stopping 
over  between  trains,  was  told  that  a 
man  in  the  hospital  was  dying  who 
had  been  deeply  impressed  in  his 
meeting  and  dying  without  hope.  He 
went  up  to  see  him  and  plead  with 
him  to  be  a  Christian  without  avail. 
The  time  came  for  his  train  to  leave 
and  the  man  was  still  unsaved.  He 
said  to  him,  "I  will  pray  with  you 
for  the  last  few  minutes,  if  you  will 
accept  Christ  just  press  my  hand." 
But  there  came  no  pressure  and  as 
he  was  leaving  the  dying  man  he  said 
o  him,  "Tell  me  when  you  will  come," 
and  he  answered,  "I  think  I  will 
come  to-morrow."  Before  my  friend 
reached  the  end  of  his  journey  a  tel- 
egram followed  him  saying  that  the 
man  was  dead.  To-morrow  with  him 
was  eternity. — J.  Wilbur  Chapman, 
D.D. 

181.  Delay,  Fatal.  A  captain  of 
a  ship,  with  his  wife,  was  on  a  ves- 
sel, wrecked  not  far  from  shore,  but 
too  far  to  reach  it  unaided.  They 
found  footing  on  a  narrow  ledge  of 
rock.  The  people  upon  the  shore  sent 
out  rockets  into  the  sea  with  cords 
attached  to  them,  until  at  last  the 
line  fell  where  the  captain  could 
reach  it.  He  drew  upon  it  until  he 
had  a  stouter  cord  and  a  stouter  line, 
until  at  last  he  had  in  his  possession 
a  good  strong  rope.  He  took  that 
rope  and  tied  it  about  his  wife  under 
her  arms ;  and  then  he  called  to  her 
above  the  fury  of  the  sea  and  re- 
minded her  of  the  mighty  force  of 
the  undertow.  And  he  told  her  that 
she  must  spring  into  the  water  at  the 
time  of  the  incoming  wave,  and  that 
he  would  give  her  the  signal.  He 
waited  until  he  saw  a  larger  billow 
than  the  others  come  toward  them,  a 
great  mountain  of  water,  foaming 
and  tossing  its  crest,  and  seemingly 
about  to  break  upon  them ;  and  then, 
just  as  it  was  breaking,  he  called  to 
her  above  the  fury  of  the  sea,  and 
said,  "Now !  Now !"  The  poor 
woman  hesitated,  she  shrank  back, 
she  tried  to  cling  to  her  husband. 
She  tried  to  hold  to  the  rock ;  but  she 
found  that  she  was  to  be  swept  over, 
and  so  she  let  go  and  cast  herself 
down  into  the  sea,  only  in  time  to 
be  caught  by  the  fury  of  the  re- 
ceding wave,  and  the  life  was  dashed 
out  of  her  on  the  rock  where  her 
husband  was  standing.  There  was 
another  rocket  and  another  line,  and 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      57 


the  captain  took  this  and  bound  it 
about  himself.  He  could  not  tell  his 
wife's  fate  as  yet.  And  again  he 
cast  his  eyes  seaward,  until  he  saw 
another  great  towering  billow,  and 
as  it  came  upon  him  he  cast  himself 
with  it  toward  the  shore,  and  helping 
hands  pulled  upon  the  rope  and 
brought  him  there  in  safety,  where 
he  found  the  dead  body  of  his  poor 
wife,  who  had  been  just  one  moment 
too  late. 

182.  Delay,  for  Convenient  Sea- 
son. Many  are  to  be  found  who 
know  the  truth  and  approve  it,  and 
mean  one  day  to  be  decided  followers 
of  Christ;  but  at  present  something 
hinders  them.  Is  this  your  state  of 
soul? 

Are  you  waiting  till  you  are  sick 
and  unwell?  Surely  you  will  not  tell 
me  that  is  a  convenient  season. 
When  your  body  is  racked  with  pain 
— when  your  mind  is  distracted  with 
all  kinds  of  anxious  thoughts — is  that 
a  suitable  time  to  begin  to  seek  God? 

Are  you  Waiting  till  you  have 
leisure?  And  when  do  you  expect 
to  have  more  time  than  you  have 
now?  Every  year  your  life  seems 
shorter  than  the  last;  you  find  more 
to  think  and  to  do  in  it.  And,  after 
all,  you  know  not  whether  you  may 
live  to  see  another  year.  Boast  not 
thyself  of  to-morrow — now  is  the 
time. 

Are  you  waiting  until  your  heart 
is  perfectly  fit  and  ready?  That  will 
never  be.  It  will  always  be  corrupt 
and  sinful — a  bubbling  fountain,  full 
of  evil.  Delay  not;  better  begin  as 
you  are. 

Are  you  waiting  till  the  devil  will 
let  you  come  to  Christ  without 
trouble?  That  will  never  be;  if  you 
would  be  saved,  you  must  fight  for  it. 

Are  you  waiting  till  the  gate  is 
wide?  That  will  never  be.  It  will 
not  alter.  It  is  wide  enough  for  the 
chief  of  sinners,  if  he  come  in  an 
humble  and  self-abased  spirit.  But 
if  there  be  any  little  sin  you  are 
resolved  not  to  give  up,  you  will 
never,  with  all  your  struggling,  be 
able  to  get  in. 

Are  you  waiting  because  some 
Christians  are  inconsistent  and  some 
professors  fall  away?  Hear  the  word 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ :  "What  is 
that  to  thee?  follow  thou  me." 

Oh,  lingering  friend,  are  not  your 
excuses  broken  reeds?    Are  not  your 


reasoning  and  defenses  unprofitable 
and  vain?  Be  honest — confess  the 
truth.  You  have  no  good  reason  for 
waiting.  This  day  I  charge  you  to 
throw  away  indecision.  Wait  no 
longer;  be  decided  for  Christ,  lest 
waiting  you  should  be  lost — forever 
lost. — Christian   Observer. 

183.  Delay,  Loss  from.  An  aged 
nobleman  who  had  lived  his  life  as 
a  man  of  the  world  was  visited  by 
God's  grace  when  he  was  past  four- 
score and  became  a  truly  changed 
man,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life  in  humble  faith  and  hope.  When 
Christian  friends  congratulated  him 
on  the  wonderful  mercy  and  forbear- 
ance that  had  been  extended  to  him 
by  God,  who  had  spared  him,  a  look 
of  sadness  would  come  over  the  old 
man's  face  as  he  replied,  "Yes,  my 
dear  friends,  thank  God  my  soul  is 
saved,  but  my  life  is  lost,  my  life  is 
lost." 

184.  Delay  to  be  Shunned. 

"Shun  delays,  they  breed  remorse ; 
Take  thy  time  while  time  is   lent 
thee; 
Creeping  snails  have  weakest  force; 
Fly    their    fault,    lest   thou    repent 
thee; 
Good  is  best  when  earnest  wrought; 
Lingering  labors  come  to  naught." 

185.  Dependence  on  Christ  for 
Salvation.  See  Christ  Depended  on 
for  Salvation. 

186.  Disease  and  Cure.  See  Sin, 
and  Salvation. 

187.  Discipleship,  Secret.     It  is 

both  a  daring  and  dangerous  thing 
to  try  to  live  secretly  for  Christ. 
It  breaks  off  the  sprouting  tendrils 
of  the  new  life,  and  so  there  can 
be  neither  bud,  blossom,  nor  fruit. 
A  light  shut  up  tight  in  a  lantern 
only  soots  and  burns  that  which  con- 
tains it.  So  it  is  with  the  soul.  It 
is  its  nature  to  shine  forth,  but 
turned  back  upon  itself  it  dims  and 
dies.  There  are  some  in  every  con- 
gregation who  are  trying  in  a  half- 
hearted sort  of  way  "to  be  good." 
That  is  too  indefinite.  There  are  no 
sharp  outlines  to  it.  It  does  not  mean 
anything  that  is  humble  or  heroic. 
The  result  in  almost  every  such  case 
is  disastrous. — E.  P.  Ingersoll. 


58 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


188.  Discipleship,  Secret  or 
Open.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
Reformation,  Martin  of  Basle  came 
to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth,  but, 
afraid  to  make  a  public  confession, 
he  wrote  on  a  leaf  of  parchment : 
"O  most  merciful  Christ,  I  know  that 
I  can  be  saved  only  by  the  merit  of 
thy  blood.  Holy  Jesus,  I  acknowledge 
thy  sufferings  for  me.  I  love  thee ! 
I  love  thee !"  Then  he  removed  a 
stone  from  the  wall  of  his  chamber 
and  hid  it  there.  It  was  not  discov- 
ered for  more  than  a  hundred  years. 
About  the  same  time  Martin  Luther 
found  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Christ. 
He  said :  "My  Lord  has  confessed  me 
before  men;  I  will  not  shrink  from 
confessing  him  before  kings."  The 
world  knows  what  followed,  and  to- 
day it  reveres  the  memory  of  Luther; 
but  as  for  Martin  of  Basle,  who  cares 
for  him? — Rev.  David  James  Bur- 
rell,  D.D. 

189.  Door,  at  the.  There  is  a 
story  of  a  prodigal  who  came  back 
from  the  far  country  and  could  not 
find  his  father's  house.  He  wan- 
dered on  and  on,  and  at  last,  in  the 
gathering  night,  sank  down,  heart- 
sick and  faint,  on  the  steps  of  a  little 
cottage.  Without  knowing  it  he  was 
on  his  own  father's  door-step.  Inside 
sat  the  aged  father  and  mother,  their 
hearts  hungering  for  their  long-lost 
boy.  Outside,  bowed  and  crushed 
and  longing  for  love  and  for  home, 
lay  the  weary,  homesick  son — on  the 
very  threshold  of  home,  but  not 
knowing  it. 

So  near  to  the  gates  of  heaven  is 
every  human  soul  that  is  penitent, 
weary  of  sin,  longing  for  divine 
mercy  and  love.  There  are  many 
who  are  not  yet  in  Christ's  kingdom 
but  who  have  at  least  some  desire 
for  heaven's  peace.  They  do  not 
know  where  to  find  what  they  seek. 
But  close  by  them  is  one  of  heaven's 
gates  and  they  have  but  to  arise  in 
their  penitence  and  enter  into  the 
Father's  house. — J.  R.  Miller,  D.D. 

190.  Door  of  the  Heart. 

"O  Jesus,  thou  art  standing 

Outside    the    fast-closed    door, 
In  lowly  patience  waiting 
To  pass  the  threshold  o'er." 

Sing  those  beautiful  words  to  your- 
self, and  then  study  Turner's  picture 
of  our  Saviour  knocking  at  the  fast- 


closed  door.  It  is  the  pride  of  many 
generous  souls  to  boast  of  their 
wholesome  hospitality,  and  many 
homes  have  the  panel  inscribed 
"Christ  is  the  Head  of  this  house." 
That  being  true,  is  he  always  the 
honored  Sovereign?  When  a  guest 
of  state  calls,  our  finest  etiquette  is 
displayed,  and  we  are  not  guilty  of 
any  breach  of  propriety.  Is  that  true 
when  we  realize  that  our  silent  Guest 
is  always  present?  Gaze  on  the  soft, 
pleading  eyes.  Listen  to  the  mellow, 
entreating  voice : 

"I  died  for  you,  my  children, 
And  will  ye  treat  me  so?" 

Think  of  that  call  of  the  Strong  to 
the  weak;  the  Hope  for  the  hope- 
less ;  the  Comforter  for  the  weary 
and  distressed ;  then  dare  you  to  be 
"out"  when  such  a  Friend  calls? 
When  a  child  turns  disdainfully  from 
a  parent,  the  parent  grieves  in  help- 
lessness and  silence.  Heed  that  su- 
preme, all-forgiving  Parent,  and  stop 
your  mad  rush  after  nothingness ; 
halt  your  headlong  plunge  into  empti- 
ness !  Permit  your  door  to  open  as 
the  door  of  the  hospitable  Southerner 
is,  always  ajar.  The  call  has  come! 
Love  tears  down  walls  of  infamy; 
heals  wounded  lives ;  makes  men  of 
cowards,  and  resolves  the  improbable 
into  the  positive.  It  is  the  dynamo 
of  the  world.  No  human  heart  can 
beat  without  it.  Therefore,  do  not 
be  deaf  to  that  gentle,  loving  knock- 
ing, but  sing  in  glad  renunciation  of 
self: 

"O  Lord,  with  shame  and  sorrow 
We  open  now  the  door ; 
Dear  Saviour,  enter,  enter, 
And    leave    us    nevermore !" 
— L.  E.  Young. 

191.  Doubt  Cured.  The  old  cap- 
tain of  the  Merrimac  was  an  inmate 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Soldiers'  Home. 
He  was  a  skeptic.  For  long,  the 
chaplain  tried  to  get  him  to  read  the 
Bible,  but  he  would  not.  At  last  he 
said  to  the  captain,  "Read  it,  and 
mark  in  red  anything  that  you  don't 
believe.  Begin  with  the  Gospel  of 
John."  The  captain,  with  a  glitter 
in  his  eye,  took  up  the  challenge.  He 
was  sick  at  the  time,  confined  to  bed. 
Every  few  hours  the  chaplain,  pass- 
ing his  door,  would  come  in  and  say, 
"Captain,  have  you  marked  anything 
yet?"  The  old  captain  would  grin, 
but  say  nothing.    After  a  day  or  two 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      59 


when  the  chaplain  stepped  in  there 
lay  the  old  captain  dead,  with  his 
Bible  open.  The  chaplain  leafed 
through  the  Gospel  of  John.  Noth- 
ing marked  in  all  the  first  chapter, 
nor  all  the  second  chapter,  nor  all  the 
third,  until  he  came  to  John  3 :  16, 
and  in  red  was  written,  "I  have  cast 
my  anchor  in  a  safe  harbor,  thank 
God  I"  He'd  found  the  only  anchor 
that  could  grip  and  the  only  rock 
that  could  hold. — Rev.  Elmer  Ells- 
worth Helms,  D.D. 

192.  Doubt,  Cured  by  Faith.     A 

little  girl  in  America,  when  she  was 
asked  by  the  church  committee  as  to 
her  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
asked  to  recite  her  experience,  said : 
"I  do  not  know  if  I  have  any  'ex- 
perience.' All  I  know  is  that  Jesus 
said,  'Come  unto  me,'  and  I  came,  and 
he  said,  T  will  give  you  rest,'  and 
he  gave  me  rest."  One  of  the  older 
men  said :  "But,  my  dear,  you  do  not 
seem  to  know  much  about  the  Slough 
of  Despond."  She  dropped  a  curt- 
sey and  said :  "Please,  sir,  I  did  not 
come  that  way." — Arthur  T.  Pier- 
son,  D.D. 

193.  Emotion,     Dallied     with. 

Many  a  man  misses  the  best  in  life 
by  his  failure  to  recognize  the  frailty 
of  fine  emotion.  His  soul  is  stirred 
by  a  sincere  and  noble  emotion,  but 
he  dallies  with  it,  neglects  it,  defers 
putting  it  into  definite  form,  and  it 
speedily  faints  and  dies.  He  thus 
becomes  guilty  of  what  Dr.  J.  H. 
Jowett  calls,  "Spiritual  murder,"  for 
when  this  man  procrastinated  with 
his  great  emotion  he  was  really  mak- 
ing an  alliance  with  death.  Jesus 
constantly  emphasized  the  supreme 
delicacy  of  a  noble  impulse,  and  as 
Dr.  Jowett  describes  it  "the  imminent 
deadly  peril  which  attends  delay." 
Nourish  the  noble  emotions  that  are 
stirred  in  your  soul,  act  upon  them 
immediately,  and  they  will  acquire  a 
rare  robustness. — Christian  Observer. 

194.  Enthusiasm  in  Saving 
Work.  An  explosion  recently  took 
place  in  a  coal  mine  near  Scranton, 
Pa.,  by  which  ten  men  were  cut  off 
in  one  of  the  tunnels.  The  work  of 
rescue  was  planned.  The  digging 
was  done  by  gangs  who  were  often 
relieved.  But  there  was  a  lack  of 
hope.  Men  kept  muttering.  "It  is 
no   use."     The   owners   of  the  mine 


stood  apart,  looking  sad  and  gloomy. 
Everybody  was  covered  with  grime, 
and  when  the  sun  set  employers  and 
workmen  concluded,  in  despair,  that 
they  might  as  well  give  up.  Just  then 
a  buggy  drove  up.  The  youngest 
member  of  the  firm  leaped  out.  He 
had  been  away  at  the  time  of  the 
accident.  He  was  pale,  but  his  eyes 
were  shining.  "Dead?  Not  a  bit  of 
it,"  he  cried,  cheerily.  "They  had 
enough  food  to  keep  them  alive 
longer  than  this.  Hello,  boys !  Why, 
you've  made  tremendous  headway ! 
You  must  be  near  the  men.  Give 
me  a  pick  and  come  along.  We'll 
have  them  out  in  no  time !"  He  had 
thrown  off  his  coat,  and  was  hard 
at  the  digging.  "Give  them  a  cheer 
to  let  them  know  we  are  coming. 
Now,  all  together, — women  and  all ! 
One — two — three — hurrah !"  He  put 
new  life  into  them  all.  A  rousing 
cheer  rang  out.  Hours  passed.  His 
courage  did  not  flag.  The  women 
ran  for  food  and  stimulants.  The 
gangs  worked  eagerly,  and  at  last  a 
cheer  went  up.  At  the  last  shout 
the  leader  threw  up  his  hand  for 
silence.  A  feeble  cry  was  heard. 
The  men  were  saved,  and  they  owed 
their  lives  to  the  enthusiasm  of  that 
young  man. 

195.  Evangelism.  Evangelism  is 
the  entire  work  of  making  Christ 
known  to  people  and  persuading 
them  to  receive  him  as  their  Saviour 
and  Lord.  In  pulpit,  Bible-school,  or 
prayer  circle,  in  home,  street,  or 
place  of  business  wherever  a  lover 
of  Jesus  seeks  by  word  or  deed  or 
by  word  and  deed  to  make  him  and 
his  saving  power  known,  and  to  per- 
suade others  to  come  into  such  a  re- 
lation to  him  that  they  shall  be  par- 
takers of  his  grace,  there  is  evan- 
gelism.— Rev.  James  A.  Francis. 

196.  Evangelism,  in  Pulpit  and 
Pew.  The  majority  of  people  out- 
side the  church  to-day  have  never 
had  a  personal  invitation  to  accept 
Christ ;  they  have  heard  sermons  and 
addresses,  but  it  is  the  nature  of  the 
human  mind  to  feel  that  such  appeals 
are  hardly  personal,  therefore  they 
are  either  resisted  or  treated  with 
indifference.  A  distinguished  man,  a 
former  governor  of  a  Southern  state, 
came  to  Christ  after  a  sad  experience 
in  sin ;  he  came  because  a  minister 
whom  I  know  wrote  him  a  personal 


6o 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


letter  urging  him  to  become  a  Chris- 
tian. He  did  so,  but  made  the  pa- 
thetic acknowledgment  that  in  all  his 
life  no  one  had  ever  before  asked 
him  to  come  to  Christ.  There  are 
thousands  like  him, —  they  live  in  our 
homes,  work  in  our  shops,  meet  us 
on  the  streets,  and  come  in  contact 
with  us  through  the  years ;  yet  to 
many  no  word  of  invitation  is 
spoken,  and  some  of  them  drift  into 
eternity  unwarned  and  unsaved. 

Evangelism  in  the  pulpit  makes  the 
way  so  plain  that  a  child  is  able  to 
understand  it,  makes  Christ  so  real 
that  one  can  almost  see  him  with 
the  natural  vision,  makes  the  hearer 
of  the  message  realize  his  danger,  and 
makes  the  approach  to  the  unsaved 
by  the  Christian  as  natural  as  for  one 
to  breathe. 

Evangelism  in  the  pews  is  putting 
into  practice  what  the  minister 
preaches ;  it  is  not  being  fanatical 
(nor  is  it  being  "pious"  in  the  ob- 
jectionable use  of  the  word),  it  is 
not  in  any  way  being  unwise  in  the 
manner  of  approach  to  the  one  whom 
we  seek  to  influence  spiritually ;  it 
is  being  true  to  Christ  and  to  those 
who  do  not  know  him. — Rev.  J. 
Wilbur  Chapman,  D.D. 

197.  Evangelism,  of  Service. 
In  Shanghai,  China,  it  is  a  common 
sight  to  see  four  or  five  coolies  pull- 
ing a  cart,  often  heavily  laden.  They 
get  on  well  enough  on  the  level,  but 
when  they  come  to  go  up  over  the 
bridges  they  often  find  it  difficult  to 
tug  the  cart  up.  As  I  crossed  a 
bridge  the  other  morning  I  saw  a 
well-dressed  Chinese  gentleman  that 
I  knew  go  to  the  assistance  of  a  cart 
that  was  stuck,  and,  laying  hold  of 
a  rope,  give  just  the  extra  help  that 
was  needed  to  get  the  cart  to  the 
top  of  the  bridge.  It  must  have 
caused  a  good  deal  of  surprise  to 
the  passers-by,  and  not  least  to  the 
coolies.  My  friend  overtook  me  a 
few  minutes  later,  and  said,  "I  am 
very  much  interested  in  the  laboring 
classes."  "Yes,"  said  I.  "I  saw  you 
taking  a  very  practical  interest  just 
now."  He  answered,  "That  is  my 
work;  whenever  I  see  them  unable 
to  pull  their  loads,  I  help  them  to 
the  top,  and  then  I  have  a  chance 
for  a  few  moments  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  them.  I  tell  them,  'It  is 
because  I  am  a  Christian  that  I 
-helped   you,    because    I    love    Jesus.' 


And  if  I  see  a  wheelbarrow  upset  in 
the  street  (a  very  common  sight),  I 
help  the  man  replace  his  load  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  him."  Service- 
evangelism  is  a  good  kind  of  evan- 
gelism. Practice  it  and  you  will  lead 
many  to  Christ.  Try  it  in  your  own 
home,  church,  community. — H. 

198.  Evangelism,  What  It  Is. 
Let  a  single  incident  illustrate  the 
simplest  form  of  evangelism. 

It  is  at  the  close  of  a  morning 
service  in  a  country  church.  The 
stranger  that  has  preached  approaches 
a  young  man  of  eighteen,  learns  his 
name,  and  then  frankly  and  kindly 
says,  "George,  are  you  a  Christian 
man?"  "Not  yet,  sir."  "George,  if 
you  knew  exactly  what  Christ 
wanted  you  to  do  to  get  started,  to 
take  the  first  real  step  in  the  Chris- 
tian life,  woull  you  do  it?"  "Yes, 
sir,  I  think  I  would."  "Sit  down  a 
minute,"  and  then  in  a  few  moments 
he  explains  what  it  means  to  accept 
Christ  as  Saviour  and  as  Lord. 

"Now,  George,  understanding  the 
matter  thus  far,  are  you  willing?" 
"I  am."  They  bowed  together,  and 
George  prayed  thus :  "O  Lord  Jesus, 
I  have  not  been  serving  you  up  till 
now ;  but  from  this  time  I  will  count 
that  I  belong  to  you.  Please  help  me. 
Amen." 

"George,  do  you  want  to  keep  this 
a  dead  secret?"  "Why,  no."  The 
pastor  is  called  over,  and  George 
walks  up  to  him,  and  with  tears  of 
joy  says,  "Pastor,  I  have  given  my 
heart  to  Jesus ;  I  am  going  to  work 
for  him  now." 

That  was  evangelism.  Simple? 
Yes.  It  required  two  things ;  first,  a 
genuine  loving  interest  in  George  on 
the  part  of  the  minister ;  and,  second, 
a  clear  enough  knowledge  of  Christ 
and  of  Christ's  saving  relation  to 
men  to  state  it  so  George  could  get 
hold  of  it.  Both  of  these  things  are 
within  reach  of  the  ordinary  disciple. 
— Rev.  James  A.  Francis,  D.D. 

199.  Example,  of  Good  Confes- 
sion. An  instance  of  quiet  confes- 
sion was  told  us  the  other  day  by  a 
humble  follower  of  Christ.  A  num- 
ber of  workingmen  were  engaged  in 
repairing  a  side-walk.  At  the  noon 
hour  they  grouped  themselves  on  a 
vacant  lot  to  eat  their  lunch.  One 
of  the  men  was  seen  to  bow  his  head 
reverently  in  prayer.    A  few  of  the 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      61 


men  threw  stones  in  his  direction  as 
if  to  hold  him  up  to  ridicule.  But 
one  of  the  number  was  moved  to  ask 
the  man  why  he  had  prayed  under 
those  circumstances.  He  explained 
that  he  was  a  Christian,  that  he  rec- 
ognized all  his  blessings,  including  his 
food,  as  gifts  from  God.  And  he 
added,  "I  am  not  ashamed  of  Christ, 
but  Christ  will  be  ashamed  of  the 
whole  lot  of  you  if  you  do  not  con- 
fess him."  The  solemn  hush  that 
fell  on  that  group  of  workingmen 
evidenced  that  this  humble  confes- 
sor had  made  a  deep  impression  by 
showing  his  colors.  His  grace  before 
lunch  gave  him  his  opportunity  to 
witness  for  Christ.  If  all  Christians 
were  thus  loyal  in  the  daily  relation- 
ships of  life,  what  a  vast  amount  of 
added  work  would  be  done  for 
Christ.  Many  would  be  won  by 
such  quiet  faithfulness  who  now  are 
swept  into  the  Kingdom  only  by  some 
great  revival  movement.  The  call  to 
confess  Christ  includes  more  than  the 
public  confession  which  marks  our 
entrance  into  the  church.  It  sum- 
mons us  to  witness  daily  by  word 
and  example  and  to  show  men  at 
every  opportunity  just  where  we 
stand. 

200.    Experience  That  Empowers. 

"The  winning  of  souls,  magnificent 
as  it  is,  is  not  the  highest  nor  first 
object  to  be  striven  for  by  the  Chris- 
tian." So  wrote  one  who  has  been 
blessedly  used  in  winning  souls. 
What  is  that  first  object — that  ex- 
perience which  empowers  for  service? 

201.  Fact,  Not  Feeling.  Chris- 
tian workers  often  hear  a  man  or 
woman  say,  "But  I  don't  feel  any 
difference."  General  McClellan,  when 
he  had  been  appointed  Major-General 
of  the  Union  Army,  wrote  to  his 
wife :  "I  do  not  feel  any  different 
from  what  I  did  yesterday.  Indeed, 
I  have  not  yet  donned  my  new  uni- 
form. I  am  sure  that  I  am  in  com- 
mand of  the  army,  however,  for  the 
President's  order  to  that  effect  now 
lies  before  me."  It  is  exactly  the 
same  with  us  who  are  "justified  by 
faith."  It  is  not  a  question  of  feel- 
ing, but  of  fact. 

202.  Failure,  God  Gives  Another 
Chance.  She  was  a  very  young 
stenographer,  and  she  was  very  pale 
as  she  stood  before  her  employer  to 


receive  a  discharge  from  her  first 
position.  "I  have  given  you  three 
chances,"  he  was  saying,  "and  you 
have  failed  three  times.  I  cannot  try 
you  again." 

Three  chances — and  he  would  give 
her  no  more;  how  infinitely  better 
does  God  treat  us  than  that!  If  he 
discarded  us  after  three  or  a  hun- 
dred failures  where  would  any  of  us 
be?  God  so  loves  the  world,  how- 
ever, that  he  gives  to  whomsoever  will 
every  opportunity  to  begin  again,  to 
make  another  attempt  to  succeed  as 
his  servant.  God  goes  further,  more- 
over; he  not  only  offers  repeated 
opportunities  to  every  one  of  us  who 
has  failed,  but  he  gives  us  his  own 
daily  and  hourly  help  in  seeing  our 
mistakes  and  learning  to  avoid  them 
in  the  future — and  then  he  gives  us 
strength  to  conquer.  God  is  man's 
very  best  Employer. — Forward. 

203.  Faith,  An  Active.  Belief  is 
the  acceptance  of  a  map.  Faith  is 
the  taking  the  voyage. — Rev.  J.  H. 
Jowett,  D.D. 

204.  Faith,  and  Believing.  Faith 
and  believing  are  two  different  things. 
Dr.  Arthur  Pink,  the  Bible  teacher, 
has  helped  to  make  the  difference 
clear.  How  did  we  get  our  eyesight? 
he  asks.  By  our  own  will  power  or 
activity?  No;  our  sight  is  God's 
gift.  But  how  do  we  see?  We  see 
by  using  our  sight.  We  decide  for 
ourselves  when  we  shall  see  and 
when  we  shall  not  see.  Our  will 
power  enters  into  it.  Seeing,  there- 
fore, is  an  act  of  ours ;  sight  is  God's 
gift.  Seeing  is  our  voluntary  use 
of  the  gift  of  sight.  So  of  faith  and 
believing.  Faith  is  God's  gift  to  us. 
Peter  writes  (2  Peter  1:1)  "to  them 
that  have  obtained  a  like  precious1 
faith  with  us  in  the  righteousness  of 
our  God  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.'1 
Obtaining,  here,  is  not  attaining  or 
achieving;  it  is  receiving  a  gift.  But, 
after  God  has  given  us  the  gift  of 
faith,  it  is  our  responsibility  to  de- 
cide whether  we  shall  use  it  or  not. 
When  we  use  the  gift  of  faith  we 
believe.  So  we  may  rightly  speak 
of  "the  will  to  believe."  Many  a 
child  of  God  is  failing  to  enjoy  God's 
richest  blessings  in  Christ  because 
failing  to  use  for  those  blessings  the 
gift  of  faith  already  received.  By 
simple  will  power  we  may,  and  we 
should,  believe  all  that  God's  Word 


62 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


says  is  true  for  us  in  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord  and  life.  Are  we  believ- 
ing with  our  faith? — Sunday-School 
Times. 

205.  Faith  and  Feeling.  A  thou- 
sand times  have  I  seen  a  darkened 
and  struggling  soul  find  a  way  along 
a  path  like  this.  He  has  said,  "I 
want  the  feeling  of  forgiven  sin,  or 
rest  and  peace."  I  have  answered, 
"Let  us  take  a  word  of  Christ  and 
follow  it  precisely.  Here  is  the  word, 
'Him  that  cometh  unto  me  I  will  in 
no  wise  cast  out.'  Coming  is  the 
assent  and  consent  of  yourself  in 
the  personal  Christ;  it  is  the  yielding 
of  yourself  to  him  as  your  Saviour 
and  Lord.  Do  you  now,  as  far  as 
you  know  yourself,  make  such  re- 
dedication  of  yourself  to  the  per- 
sonal Christ?"  When  the  answer  has 
been  "Yes,"  and  I  have  been  sure 
of  deep  sincerity,  I  have  added,  "And 
here  is  the  word  of  the  personal 
Christ  to  you,  "I  will  in  no  wise  cast 
out."  Can  you  believe  that  word  and 
rest  on  it?  And  how  often  have  I 
seen  the  light  break  over  the  troubled 
face,  and  heard  sighs  give  place  to 
songs,  as  the  soul  by  such  great  and 
yet  simple  faith  has  entered  into  the 
radiant  certainty  of  forgiveness. — 
Wayland  Hoyt,  D.D. 

206.  Faith,  and  Obedience.  Mr. 
John  R.  Mott,  while  on  his  mission- 
ary tour  around  the  world,  received 
a  letter  from  Kumamoto  in  Japan, 
inviting  him  to  come  there,  and  ask- 
ing how  many  persons  it  would  take 
to  form  a  Christian  Association,  add- 
ing that  there  were  only  three  Chris- 
tians in  a  college  of  seven  hundred 
students.  Mr.  Mott  wrote  back  that 
three  were  enough  to  form  an  asso- 
ciation if  they  were  only  united.  He 
also  said  that  he  would  visit  the 
college.  He  found,  when  he  reached 
Kumamoto,  that  the  three  Christians 
had  grown  to  fourteen.  Five  years 
later  he  visited  them,  and  learned 
that  they  had  grown  to  be  one  of 
the  strongest  association  in  Japan. 
He  found  that  they  went  every  morn- 
ing at  daybreak  to  a  place  they 
called  "Flowery  Hill"  and  held  a 
Prayer  service.  He  also  found  a 
crowd  of  the  class  most  difficult  to 
reach  at  that  time  of  the  day,  but 
before  he  left  fully  two  hundred  stu- 
dents had  accepted  Christ.  Those 
men  obeyed  God's  command  to  launch 


out  into  the  deep  of  faith  and  let 
down  the  nets  of  prayer  and  work. 

"Though  it  is  against  all  precedent 
and  against  good  judgment,  yet  if 
you  say  so,  Lord,  I  will  do  it." 

Do  you  remember  how,  when  you 
came  to  the  pasture  gate,  you  used 
to  have  to  get  out  of  the  buggy  and 
go  ahead  to  open  the  gate?  They 
are  making  a  new  sort  of  contrivance 
these  days.  All  you  have  to  do  is 
to  drive  right  at  the  gate,  and  it  opens 
of  its  own  accord.  In  so'me  way  the 
weight  of  the  horse,  as  he  steps  on 
the  platform,  releases  a  lever,  and 
the  gate  swings  open.  Often  we  are 
unable  to  see  just  how  God's  com- 
mands are  going  to  be  obeyed.  If 
he  says,  "Go  ahead,"  or  "Let  down 
the  net,"  it  is  safe  to  do  it. 

When  he  tells  you  to  start  out  on 
the  Christian  life  it  is  safe  for  you 
to  do  it.— H. 

207.  Faith  and  Obedience.  See 
Obedience  Brings  Blessing. 

208.  Faith,  and  Works.  A  man 
dreamed  that  he  constructed  a  ladder 
from  earth  toward  heaven,  and  when 
he  did  a  good  deed  his  ladder  went 
up  two  feet.  When  he  did  an  un- 
usually good  deed  his  ladder  went 
stiil  higher.  When  he  gave  large 
sums  of  money  to  the  poor  it  went 
still  higher.  After  a  while  it  went 
out  of  sight,  and  as  the  years  rolled 
on  he  expected  at  his  death  to  step 
off  that  ladder  into  heaven,  but  in 
his  dream  he  heard  a  voice  thunder 
from  the  skies :  "He  that  climbeth 
up  some  other  way,  the  same  is  a 
thief  and  a  robber."  Down  came  the 
ladder  and  the  man,  and  he  awoke. 
He  realized  then  his  mistake,  and 
sought  salvation  in  the  only  way. 

209.  Faith,  Christian  Life  En- 
tered by.  Sam  Jones  was  talking 
to  a  man  of  weak  faith.  The  doubter 
asked  if  Mr.  Jones  could  not  give 
him  a  demonstration  of  religion. 
"None,"  was  the  reply ;  "you  must 
get  inside  the  fold,  and  the  demon- 
stration will  come  of  itself.  Out 
West  they  have  a  plan  for  watering 
cattle.  The  cattle  have  to  mount  a 
platform  to  reach  the  troughs.  As 
they  step  on  the  platform  their 
weight  presses  a  lever,  and  this 
throws  the  water  into  the  troughs. 
They  have  to  get  on  the  platform 
through  faith,  and  this  act  provides 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      63 


the  water  and  leads  them  to  it. 
That's  the  way  with  religion.  You've 
got  to  get  on  the  platform." 

210.  Faith,  Comes  by  Hearing. 
See  Soul,  Give  It  a  Chance. 

an.    Faith,  Defined.    There  is  a 

man  living  in  the  City  of  New  York 
who  has  a  house  on  the  Hudson 
River.  His  daughter  and  her  family 
went  to  spend  the  winter  with  him, 
and  in  the  course  of  the  season  the 
scarlet  fever  broke  out.  One  little 
girl  was  put  in  quarantine.  Every 
morning  the  old  grandfather  used  to 
go  out  and  bid  his  grandchild  "Good- 
by"  before  going  to  his  business.  On 
one  of  these  occasions  the  little  child 
took  the  old  man  by  the  hand,  and, 
leading  him  to  a  corner  of  the  room, 
without  saying  a  word  she  pointed 
to  the  floor  where  she  had  arranged 
some  small  crackers  so  they  would 
spell  out,  "Grandpa,  I  want  a  box  of 
paints."  He  said  nothing.  On  his 
return  home  he  went  to  the  room 
as  usual.  His  grandchild,  without 
looking  to  see  if  her  wish  had  been 
complied  with,  took  him  into  the 
same  corner,  where  he  saw  spelled 
out  in  the  same  way,  "Grandpa,  I 
thank  you  for  the  box  of  paints." 
That  was  faith. 

212.  Faith,  Expressing.  Christ 
says,  "They  are  mine  that  testify  of 
me."  I  was  all  my  life  timid  about 
testifying  for  my  Saviour.  I  believe 
this  was  given  for  encouragement. 
I  dreamed  I  was  in  a  large  church. 
It  was  full  of  people.  Every  one 
was  supposed  to  testify  for  Christ. 
When  any  one  did,  an  angel  came 
and  presented  a  great  white  cross.  At 
last  I  got  courage  enough  to  testify, 
in  a  very  poor  and  halting  way, 
thinking  I  was  not  worthy  to  receive 
the  reward  as  others  did.  But  the 
angel  came  and  presented  me  a  cross 
as  to  all  the  others.  I  realized  that 
if  we  do  the  best  we  can,  our  reward 
will  be  just  as  great.  Why  can  we 
not  get  people  to  tell  of  their  actual 
experiences  in  the  Christian  life?  It 
is  certainly  needful  in  our  churches 
to-day. 

213.  Faith    Is    One    Step    at   a 

Time.     See,  Believe  and  Climb. 

214.  Faith,  Saving.  "What  must 
I  do  to  be  saved?"     The  answer  is 


clear  and  simple,  "Believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt 
be  saved"   (Acts  10: 31  J. 

"Only  a  step  to  Jesus : 

Then  why  not  take  it  now? 
Come,   thy  sins  confessing, 
To  him,  thy  Saviour,  bow." 

Only  a  step,  but  a  great  step. — 
Rev.  J.   W.  Weddell,  D.D. 

215.  Faith,  the  Key.  When  that 
awful  storm  of  hot  stones,  molten 
lava  and  death-dealing  pumice  buried 
the  city  of  Pompeii,  four  prisoners, 
with  their  feet  fastened  in  stocks, 
were  overtaken  by  the  flood.  Sitting 
in  their  dungeon  they  could  hear  the 
dreadful  roar,  telling  of  the  coming 
of  something,  they  knew  not  what, 
and  they  could  feel  the  stifling  breath 
of  the  gases  which  were  carrying 
down  to  death  the  people  of  that 
doomed  city,  a  merciful  means  of 
stupefaction,  shutting  out  the  more 
terrible  effects  of  the  hail  of  death 
which  came  in  its  train. 

Nearer  and  more  near  the  wave  of 
death  came,  until  now  it  spread  even 
to  the  door  of  the  prisoners'  cell. 
Frightened  by  th#  mysterious  shadow 
falling  like  a  pall  over  everything, 
the  jailer  fled  for  life,  deaf  to  the 
agonized  cries  of  the  men  he  had 
been  set  to  keep. 

There  stood  the  door  of  escape, 
now  wide  open  as  their  keeper  had 
left  it.  And,  oh,  more  fearful 
thought,  there  just  on  the  very 
threshold  of  the  doorway  lay  the  key 
which  the  jailer  had  dropped  in  his 
flight,  the  key  which  would  unlock 
the  iron  stocks  which  held  their  feet 
so  fast! 

What  language  could  picture  the 
thoughts  of  those  four  doomed  men, 
as  they  fought  to  reach  that  key?  If 
only  they  might  reach  it  there  might 
be  a  chance  for  them  to  escape,  as 
others  were  trying  to  do.  But  ever 
just  beyond  their  utmost  reach  lay 
the  thing  which  could  free  them,  a 
mockery  to  their  hopes,  a  jeer  flaunt- 
ing itself  in  the  very  face  of  destiny, 
And  so  they  fought  and  shrieked  and 
tore  their  very  flesh  in  madness  un- 
til the  fumes  from  the  distant  volcano 
filled  the  cell  and  put  an  end  to  it 
all.  And  there  lay  the  key  just  be- 
yond  their   reach ! 

How  like  to  that  old  prison  cell 
of  Pompeii  is  sin.  Fast  in  the  stocks 
of  evil,  men  are  still  bound  hand  and 


64 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


foot.  Death,  darker  than  that  which 
descended  over  that  ancient  city, 
casts  its  pall  over  us  all.  We  see 
its  fateful  approach,  and  look  about 
us  in  our  moments  of  thoughtfulness 
for  some  means  of  release.  Are  we, 
too,  prisoners  condemned  without  re- 
lief,  to   sure   death? 

Thanks  be  to  him  that  has  loved 
us  with  an  everlasting  love,  there 
is  a  way  of  escape  for  us  all.  The 
key  is  here,  and  it  is  not  beyond 
our  reach.  Blessed  hope !  Blessed 
assurance !  God  1  as  put  the  key 
within  our  very  grasp.  Nay,  into 
our  hand  he  has  thrust  the  master- 
key  which  will  open  every  door  the 
devil  may  shut  against  us.  It  is  the 
key  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ. — Rev. 
E.  L.  Vincent. 

216.  Family  Prayer  ,  Influence 
of.     See    Prayers,   Fam  ily. 

217.  Father's  Influence.  In  the 
home  of  a  pious  farmer  there  hung 
the  well-known  motto :  "But  as  for 
me  and  my  house,  we  will  serve  the 
Lord."  The  motto  meant  something 
in  that  house,  for  the  farmer  prayed 
daily  that  all  might  truly  serve  the 
Lord.  The  last  clause  fitted  all  the 
house  save  the  oldest  son,  who  per- 
sistently refused  to  accept  Christ. 
One  day  the  father  and  son  were 
alone  in  the  room  where  the  motto 
hung.  The  father  said,  "My  dear 
Henry,  I  cannot  and  will  not  be  a 
liar  any  longer.  You,  who  belong  to 
my  house,  do  not  want  to  serve  the 
Lord.  Therefore  I  must  add  the 
words  'except  Henry' ;  it  hurts  me 
to  do  it,  but  I  must  be  true."  The 
thought  so  impressed  the  boy  that 
he  gave   himself  to  Christ. 

218.  Father-love.  In  his  volume 
of  addresses,  "As  Jesus  Passed  By," 
Gipsy  Smith  tells  of  the  time  when 
his  father  was  away  for  six  weeks 
holding  evangelistic  meetings.  The 
time  to  the  motherless  children 
seemed  long.  Hearing  that  the  father 
was  coming  home  on  a  certain  day, 
they  were  up  early  in  the  morning 
to  welcome  him ;  but  it  was  night 
before  he  arrived.  This  is  what 
happened :  "When  father  came  into 
the  old  tent  we  all  made  way  for 
the  baby  girl  to  go  to  him  first,  and 
he  sat  down  and  put  his  arms  around 
her  and  kissed  her  and  caressed  her. 
She  was  his   baby,  and  he  had  not 


seen  her  for  six  weeks.  My  father 
kept  her  a  long  time,  too  long  for 
the  rest  of  us  who  were  waiting.  It 
was  my  turn  next,  and  my  boyish 
heart  was  so  impatient  for  the  clasp 
of  my  father's  arms  that  I  could 
scarcely  endure  to  be  kept  out  so 
long.  When  I  could  stand  it  no 
longer  I  cried  to  my  little  sister, 
'Come  out,  come  out,  it  is  my  turn.' 
And  she  rolled  her  black,  bright  eyes 
at  me,  and  said,  'You  get  me  out  of 
my  father's  arms  if  you  can.'  And  I 
cried  out,  'Well,  I  cannot  do  that, 
but  there  is  room  for  me,  too,  and 
I  am  coming  in.'  And  I  crept  in  be- 
side her,  and,  oh,  the  comfort  and 
feeling  of  safety  when  I  felt  my 
father's  strong,  loving  arms  around 
me." 

219.  Father,  Love  of.  I  read  the 
other  day  that  a  father  was  greatly 
troubled  about  his  son,  who  had 
gone  wrong.  The  son  became  ill  and 
despondent  and  wrote  very  trem- 
blingly and  fearfully,  as  if  to  ask 
whether  there  was  any  hope  of  for- 
giveness. The  father  at  once  sent 
a  telegram  to  him,  and  the  telegram 
consisted  of  one  word ;  the  one  word 
was  "Home,"  and  the  telegram  was 
signed  "Father."  Now  the  Gospel 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  God's 
telegram  to  the  sinful  world,  summed 
up  in  one  word,  "Home"  and  signed 
by  one  name,  "Father." — Robert  F. 
Horton. 

220.  Feeling,  Not  All-important. 
See  Fact,  Not  Feeling. 

221.  Fidelity  to  Souls.  See  Min- 
ister and  Evangelist. 

222.  Fire,  More  Needed.  See 
Zeal,  More  Needed. 

223.  First  Things  First.  "Seek 
ye  first  his  kingdom,  and  his  right- 
eousness." I  am  not  here  this  after- 
noon to  tell  you  to  be  religious.  You 
know  that.  I  am  not  here  to  tell 
you  to  seek  the  kingdom  of  God.  I 
have  come  to  tell  you  to  seek  the 
kingdom  of  God  first.  First.  Not 
many  people  do  that.  They  put  a 
little  religion  into  their  life — once  a 
week,  perhaps.  They  might  just  as 
well  let  it  alone.  It  is  not  worth 
seeking  the  kingdom  of  God  unless 
we  seek  it  first.  Suppose  you  take 
the  helm  out  of  a  ship  and  hang  it 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      65 


over  the  bow,  and  send  that  ship  to 
sea,  will  it  ever  reach  the  other  side  ? 
Certainly  not.  It  will  drift  about 
anyhow.  Keep  religion  in  its  place, 
and  it  will  take  you  straight  through 
life,  and  straight  to  your  Father 
in  heaven  when  life  is  over.  But 
if  you  do  not  put  it  in  its  place, 
you  may  just  as  well  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  it.  Religion  out  of 
its  place  in  a  human  life  is  the 
most  miserable  thing  in  the  world. 
There  is  nothing  that  requires  so 
much  to  be  kept  in  its  place  as  re- 
ligion. 

224.  Fishing  for  Men.  A  com- 
pany of  pleasure-seekers  went  to  a 
woodland  stream  to  spend  a  day  in 
fishing.  They  carried  with  them  the 
most  improved  fishing  outfits  money 
could  buy.  The  young  men  sat  on 
the  bank  of  the  stream  and  waited 
long  for  results,  but  the  hours  passed 
and  they  had  nothing  to  show  for 
their  pains. 

Near  by  sat  a  ragged  urchin  who 
.  was  catching  fish  after  fish  while  the 
young  swells  were  toiling  in  vain. 
Yet  he  had  only  a  branch  from  a 
tree  for  a  pole,  a  string  for  a  line, 
worms  and  flies  for  bait,  and  a  bent 
pin  for  a  hook.  When  they  jollied 
him  over  his  success  and  asked  his 
secret,  he  told  it  in  few  words : 
"You  fellers  are  fishin'  for  fun,  but 
I  am  fishin'  for  fish !" 

The  fisher-boy's  answer  has  its  les- 
son for  all  who  would  be  fishers  of 
men.  So  long  as  we  perform  our 
religious  service  perfunctorily,  or  for 
the  pleasure  it  gives  us,  we  need 
expect  no  results.  When  we  set 
about  it  with  a  passion  for  souls, 
results  will  follow. — Christian  Union 
Herald. 

225.  Friend,  Wins  Friend  to 
Christ.  Recently  a  young  woman 
was  led  to  acknowledge  Jesus  Christ 
publicly  as  her  personal  Saviour. 
Almost  her  first  thought  afterward 
was  that  she  must  make  this  known 
to  her  most  intimate  girl  friend,  who 
resided  in  a  near-by  city.  They  had 
been  friends  for  several  years,  held 
many  things  in  common,  for  both 
were  engaged  in  artistic  professions, 
and  had  together  taken  several  jour- 
neys of  many  months'  duration  across 
the  continent.  The  young  woman 
hesitated  to  write,  fearing  jest  and 
ridicule,  preferring  to  tell  personally 


her    recent    experience,    which    had 
been   one   of    severe    struggle. 

Three  weeks  later  the  friend  came 
to  the  young  woman's  home,  and  in 
a  quiet  talk  by  themselves  she  was 
told  of  what  had  occurred.  She  was 
much  affected,  and  when,  at  the 
close,  the  young  woman  asked  her  if 
she  would  not  consider  this  impor- 
tant question  also,  she  replied  that 
for  the  past  four  weeks  she  had  been 
under  deep  conviction,  and  it  only 
needed  this  word  to  cause  her  to  take 
Christ  for  her  Saviour  and  openly 
confess  him. — M.  B.  W. 

226.  Friendship  of  Christ.  See 
Christ  Our  Friend. 

227.  Foundation,  Build  on  Christ. 

See   Sin,    Secret. 

228.  Gift,  of  Gratitude.  A  Mo- 
hammedan father  in  East  Turkestan 
was  so  rejoiced  at  the  restoration  of 
his  sight  by  a  medical  mission  that, 
having  no  money  to  offer  the  doctor, 
he  brought  his  daughter,  an  only 
child  of  twelve,  and  gave  her  as  a 
fee.  _  She  is  being  trained  in  the 
mission  school. — Christian  Endeavor 
World. 

229.  God,  Acknowledged.  When 
the  old  Spanish  mariners,  in  their 
explorations  touched  any  new  land 
the  first  thing  they  did  was  to  run 
up  the  flag  of  Ferdinand  and  Isa- 
bella to  the  masthead  on  the  high- 
est point  they  could  reach  on  the 
new  land.  Every  new  shore  was 
claimed  for  Spain.  The  sovereigns 
that  encouraged  the  explorations  of 
these  Spanish  mariners  were  acknowl- 
edged when  the  first  foot  touched 
the  new  shore.  Ah,  man !  when  you 
get  your  new  situation,  when  you  set 
up  your  new  home,  when  new  cir- 
cumstances arrive  in  your  life,  it  is 
grand  to  run  up  the  flag  of  God's 
Son,  and  say :  "This  new  situation — 
this  new  era  in  my  life — will  be  the 
son  of  his  Son." — John  Robertson, 
D.D. 

230.  God  and  Us,  Something  Be- 
tween. There  is  an  old  fable  which 
says  that  once  during  an  eclipse  the 
moon  complained  to  the  sun,  saying, 
"Why  do  you  not  shine  upon  me 
now  as  you  used  to?"  The  sun  re- 
plied, "I  am  still  shining ;  do  you  not 
enjoy  my  light?"     "Oh!  I  see,"  said 


66 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


the  moon,  "the  earth  has  got  between 
us."  Is  not  this  the  reason  some  lives 
are  so  fruitless?  They  have  allowed 
the  world  to  come  between  them  and 
Christ,  and  their  source  of  light  is 
cut  off.  So  they  are  unable  to  shine 
for  others.  They  are  ineffective  in 
blessing  others. — H. 

231.  God,  Can  Use  Life's  Rem- 
nant.   See  Life,  Its  Second  Chance. 

232.  God,  Character  of.  See 
God,  What  He*  Is  Like. 

233.  God,  Desired.  "With  all 
your  heart."  Do  you  know  what 
that  means?  Let  me  tell  you.  A 
soldier  who  had  been  long  in  South- 
ern prisons  called  at  my  home  after 
the  war.  I  had  met  him  first  while 
we  were  prisoners  in  Charleston  jail. 
Afterward  we  were  together  in  the 
jail  at  Columbia.  He  had  gone  to 
Belle  Island.  Three  years  had 
passed ;  and  now  as  we  met  once 
more,  I  asked  him  of  his  later  prison 
experiences.  "I  don't  remember 
much  about  it,  Chaplain,"  he  said, 
"only  that  I  wanted  bread.  I  know 
it  was  twenty-three  months  after  my 
capture  before  I  was  released.  But 
after  I  left  Columbia,  it  is  all  con- 
fused in  my  mind.  I  know  I  was 
at  Belle  Island  a  while,  and  a  long 
time  at  Andersonville. 

"How  hungry  I  was  at  Anderson- 
ville! For  a  while  I  used  to  want 
to  hear  from  home.  Then  I  grew 
so  hungry  that  I  didn't  think  of 
home.  For  a  while  I  wanted  to  es- 
cape. But  by  and  by  I  was  too  hun- 
gry to  care  for  that.  I  only  wanted 
bread,  bread,  bread.  Oh,  how  hungry 
I  was  and  how  much  I  longed  for 
bread !" 

That,  my  friends,  was  longing  for 
bread  "with  all  the  heart" — with  one 
supreme,  overmastering  desire.  Home 
and  friends,  and  liberty  and  life,  lost 
sight  of,  unthought  of,  in  the  cease- 
less craving  for  needful  food! 
Blessed  are  they  who  do  thus  hun- 
ger after  the  Bread  of  Life  in  Jesus 
Christ,  "for  they  shall  be  filled" 
(Matt.  5:6). — Trumbull. 

234.  God,  Get  Right  With.     A 

man  came  to  me  when  I  was  in 
South  Africa  and  he  said,  "Sir,  I 
want  to  get  relief  from  a  guilty  con- 
science," and  he  had  an  awful  story 
to  tell,  a  story  that  made  me  shud- 


der. He  unfolded  a  page  of  his  his- 
tory that  I  dare  not  tell  you.  Then 
he  said,  "Sir,  I  want  God's  pardon." 
I  said,  "My  brother,  how  do  you 
expect  to  get  it?"  He  said,  "By  an 
honest  attempt  to  undo  the  past." 
"Then,"  said  I,  "turn  your  face  that 
way  and  wait  for  peace."  "But,"  he 
said,  "that  will  mean  prison,  and  it 
may  mean  a  lifetime  in  prison."  I 
said,  "Turn  your  face  that  way.  It 
is  no  good  to  talk  about  peace  while 
there  is  wrong  to  be  righted,  while 
there  are  stripes  that  need  to  be 
washed;  it  is  no  use  to  talk  about 
peace  till  you  get  right  with  God. 
The  Kingdom  of  God  is  not  meat 
and  drink,  but  righteousness  and 
peace."  Righteousness  that  means 
Tightness,  wholeness,  harmony — and 
then  the  music.  There  will  be  no 
music  till  the  instrument  is  put  in 
tune.  You  know  where  you  have 
to  yield ;  you  know  the  point  of  con- 
troversy between  you  and  God ;  you 
know  the  thing  that  has  hindered 
you ;  you  know  the  thing  that  has 
darkened  your  sky;  you  know  the 
thing  that  has  come  in  between  you 
and  God ;  you  know  the  thing  about 
which  you  have  persisted  in  having 
your  own  way  and  not  God's.  When 
you  yield  on  that  thing,  you  will  re- 
pent.— Gipsy  Smith. 

235-  God  First.  A  worker  from 
New  York  who  was  visiting  Elida 
Orphanage  was  one  day  telling  the 
children  how  in  that  great  city  they 
had  "Safety-First"  put  up  everywhere 
to  keep  people  from  danger.  On 
hearing  this,  one  little  fellow  spoke 
up  and  said :  "Down  here  we  have 
'God  First.' "  Perhaps  the  boy  did 
not  fully  realize  how  true  it  is  that 
the  greater  includes  the  lesser.  He 
who  puts  God  first  in  his  life  is  as- 
sured of  safety.  The  Most  High 
becomes  his  habitation,  and  no  evil 
shall   befall    him. 

236.    God,  His  Love  for  the  Lost. 

It  is  always  foolhardy  and  often 
fatal  to  run  past  a  signal.  The  en- 
gineer who  does  it  may  wreck  his 
train,  and  the  pilot  may  ground  his 
ship.  It  is  told  that  a  philanthro- 
pist of  the  alkali  desert  in  the  west 
of  the  United  States  spent  years 
blazing  paths  to  safety  through  the 
wilderness,  and  putting  up  sign- 
posts to  guide  the  bewildered  trav- 
eler.    After  he  had   planted   a  sign 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      67 


at  every  place  of  danger,  he  found 
that  even  that  was  not  enough.  Peo- 
ple were  continually  being  lost  in 
spite  of  the  signs.  He  therefore  de- 
voted the  rest  of  his  time  to  rescuing 
those  who  had  missed  the  signs.  It 
is  a  beautiful  story,  but  is  it  not  a 
parable  in  heroism  of  what  God  in 
his  wondrous  love  has  done  for  a 
lost  world?  Oh,  heedless  and  fool- 
hardy brothers  of  Dives,  how  full  the 
world  is  of  you !  "If  they  hear  not 
Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither  will 
they  be  persuaded  though  one  rose 
from  the  dead."  When  mankind 
failed  to  be  warned  by  the  Written 
Word,  to  seek  and  to  save  came 
the  Living  Word.  Praise  God  for 
our  divine  St.  Bernard  and  for  his 
hospice  of  heaven. — Sunday-School 
Times. 

237.     God,   His   Power  to  Save. 

"You  cannot  be  sure  that  you're  per- 
fectly saved 
Till  you  know  you  are  utterly  lost." 

How  forcibly  these  lines  were  illus- 
trated in  the  experience  of  S.  H. 
Hadley,  the  New  York  Rescue  Mis- 
sion Worker.  He  said  :  "One  Tues- 
day evening  I  sat  in  a  saloon  in 
Harlem,  a  homeless,  friendless,  dy- 
ing drunkard.  I  had  pawned  or 
sold  everything  that  would  bring  a 
drink.  I  could  not  sleep  unless  I 
was  dead  drunk.  I  had  not  eaten 
for  days,  and  for  four  nights  pre- 
ceding I  had  suffered  with  delirium 
tremens,  or  the  horrors,  from  mid- 
night till  morning.  I  had  often 
said,  T  will  never  be  a  tramp.  I 
will  never  be  cornered,  for  when 
that  times  comes,  if  ever  it  comes, 
I  will  find  a  home  in  the  bottom  of 
the  river.'  But  the  Lord  so  ordered 
it  that  when  that  time  did  come  I 
was  not  able  to  walk  one  quarter  of 
the  way  to  the  river.  As  I  sat  there 
[thinking,  I  seemed  to  feel  some 
great  and  mighty  presence.  I  did 
not  know  then  what  it  was.  I  did 
learn  afterwards  that  it  was  Jesus, 
the  sinner's  friend.  I  walked  up  to 
the  bar  and  pounded  it  with  my 
fist  till  I  made  the  glasses  rattle. 
Those  who  stood  by  drinking,  looked 
on  with  scornful  curiosity.  I  said 
I  would  never  take  another  drink, 
if  I  died  on  the  street,  and  really 
I  felt  as  though  that  would  happen 
before  morning.  Something  said, 
Tf  you  want  to  keep  this  promise, 


go  and  have  yourself  locked  up.'  I 
went  to  the  nearest  station-house 
and  had  myself  locked  up.  ...  A 
blessed  whisper  said,  'Come.'  The 
devil  said,  'Be  careful.'  I  halted  but 
a  moment,  and  then,  with  a  break- 
ing heart,  I  said,  'Dear  Jesus,  can 
you  help  me?'  Never  with  mortal 
tongue  can  I  describe  that  moment. 
Although  up  to  that  moment  my 
soul  had  been  filled  with  indescriba- 
ble gloom,  I  felt  the  glorious  bright- 
ness of  the  noonday  sun  shine  into 
my  heart.  I  felt  I  was  a  free  man. 
I  felt  that  Christ  with  all  his  bright- 
ness and  power  had  come  into  my 
life ;  that,  indeed,  old  things  had 
passed  away  and  all  things  had  be- 
come new." 

238.  God,  His  Seeking  Love.  A 
large  number  of  children  are  lost  in 
New  York  every  year.  The  largest 
number  ever  sheltered  at  police 
headquarters  in  one  year  was  in 
1892.  Many  little  ones  go  to  school 
for  the  first  time  and  are  too  small 
to  find  their  way  home.  They  wan- 
der aimlessly  about,  and,  finally 
tired  out  and  discouraged,  begin  to 
cry.  Here  some  officer  takes  a  hand, 
and  the  child  is  brought  to  the  cen- 
tral office.  So  it  is  with  God's  chil- 
dren. They  wander  about  aimlessly 
for  a  few  years,  some  many  years. 
Sin-burdened  and  discouraged,  they 
sink  down  by  the  wayside  with  bitter 
weeping.  Here  they  find  a  hand 
that  has  been  secretly  following 
them,  stretched  out  to  help.  They 
never  realized  before  that  help  in 
time  of  need  was  so  near  at  hand. 
Many  travel  the  way  of  life  and 
reach  almost  the  end  before  they 
discover  that  God  is  so  near. 

239.  God  Is  Near.  A  busy 
mother  one  day  went  into  her  room, 
at  twilight,  her  mind  intent  upon  a 
long  letter  that  she  needed  to  write; 
she  sat  down  at  her  desk  and  began 
to  fill  page  after  page  of  note  paper. 
Presently  she  heard  a  little  sigh ;  and 
turning  her  head,  she  saw  her  little 
son  cuddled  up  in  an  arm  chair. 

"Why,  sonnie,  how  long  have  you 
been  here?"  she  asked. 

"All  the  time,  Mummie,"  the  little 
fellow  answered,  "but  you  have  been 
too  busy  to  notice." 

How  long  has  God  been  near  and 
yet  you  have  not  realized  or  re- 
sponded to  his  presence? 


«-«.l_      '... 


68 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


240.  God,  Kinship  With.  A 
teacher  had  told  of  his  failure  to 
get  close  to  people  till  he  trained 
himself  to  speak  plainly.  At  last 
came  the  day  of  success  when  he 
gathered  the  children  about  him  and 
asked,  "What  kin  is  God  to  you, 
and  what  kin  are  you  to  God?"  The 
sequel  is  told  by  the  author  of  "In 
the  Service  of  the  King" :  "More 
than  one  mother  told  him  afterwards 
that  her  child  came  home  all  aglow 
to  tell  her  the  fact,  now  for  the  first 
time  really  made  his  own,  'I  am 
God's  child.'  That  word  'kin'  had 
unlocked  the  doors  of  heaven  for 
him."     Speak  plainly. 

241.  God,  Let  Him  Retune  Your 
Heart.  In  the  olden  days  a  prince 
inherited  his  father's  estate  and,  with 
his  family  and  servants,  took  up  his 
abode  in  the  castle  where  his  child- 
hood days  had  been  spent.  Well  did 
he  remember  the  long  and  happy 
evenings  he  had  spent  with  the  house- 
hold in  the  large  family  room !  His 
father  had  secured  the  best  musician 
in  the  land  to  build  a  magnificent 
harp  in  one  end  of  that  large  family 
room.  Now  the  prince  secured  the 
best  musician  he  could  find  to  bring 
joy  to  his  household,  with  music 
from  the  harp.  But  the  harp  was 
out  of  tune  and  the  musician  could 
not  tune  it.  Another  musician  was 
secured,  but  he  failed  also.  Another 
and  another  tried,  but  with  the  same 
disappointment. 

With  a  sad  heart  the  prince  com- 
manded the  old  harp  to  be  covered 
with  a  great  curtain — a  ruin  of  hap- 
pier days. 

But  one  evening  an  old  man 
knocked  at  the  castle  gate  asking 
shelter  from  the  stormy  night.  He 
was  invited  to  dine  with  the  house- 
hold in  the  great  family  room.  After 
supper  he  surprised  the  prince  by 
asking  why  the  great  harp  was  cov- 
ered. "Alas,"  returned  the  prince, 
"it  is  out  of  tune,  and  instead  of 
music  it  utters  shrill  screeches  and 
nerve-racking  discords  and  no  one 
can  tune  it."  "May  I  try?"  the 
stranger  asked.  His  request  was 
granted.  After  an  hour's  work,  the 
venerable  old  man  asked  the  prince 
to  assemble  his  family  to  hear  the 
harp.  And  such  music  they  had 
never  heard !  Clear,  harmonious 
tones  inspired  their  glad  hearts. 

"Who  are  you,  stranger,"  asked  the 


prince,  "and  why  can  you  tune  this 
harp  when  all  others  in  the  realm 
failed?"  "Because,"  the  old  mu- 
sician quietly  answered,  "I  made  the 
harp !" 

Are  you  conscious  that  your  heart 
is  out  of  tune — that  your  life  is  full 
of  discord?  God  can  retune  your 
heart.  Yield  to  him.  Let  him  do 
it.  He  can  make  it  over  so  it  will 
produce  sweet  and  gladdening  music. 
— H. 


242.      God,    Never    Sleeps. 
Kept,  Through  God's  Care. 


See 


243.  God,  Welcoming  Returning 
Sinners.  God  is  ever  ready  to  re- 
ceive back  his  wayward,  wandering 
children.  They  are  his  children  still. 
The  lost  sheep,  in  the  parable,  was 
a  wandering  member  of  the  flock,  not 
a  goat.  The  lost  money  was  a  mis- 
placed piece  of  real  silver,  not  a 
spurious  coin.  The  lost  son  was  a 
prodigal  wanderer,  to  be  sure,  but  he 
was  a  son,  a  member  of  the  father's 
household,  not  an  outsider.  Rightly 
interpreted  these  parables  apply  to 
us  straying,  wandering,  backslidden 
Christians,  telling  how  anxiously 
God  longs  for  our  coming  and  how 
gladly  he  welcomes  our  return.  I 
have  often  thought  that  if  we  were 
writing  the  parable  of  the  prodigal 
son,  how  differently  we  would  write 
it.  We  would  have  the  son  come 
home  some  dark  night,  and  rap  on 
his  father's  door;  but  no  answer. 
The  father  hears  him  from  within, 
but  says  to  himself :  "He  was  a  long 
time  coming  back,  I  will  be  slow  in 
answering,  to  try  his  earnestness." 
Again  he  would  knock,  louder.  Still 
the  father  is  silent.  By  and  by  he 
would  go  around  to  his  father's  win- 
dow, and  tapping  on  the  pane,  would 
cry  out  so  the  echoes  could  be  heard 
in  the  stillness  of  the  night :  "Father, 
let  me  in ;  take  me  back ;  I  will  serve 
you  faithfully  if  you  will  but  open 
unto  me !"  After  a  long  time  of 
waiting  and  a  great  deal  of  pleading 
we  would  have  the  father  arise  and 
let  him  in.  But  oh,  how  thankful 
we  ought  to  be  that  this  is  not  God's 
way !  He  sees  us  even  a  long  way 
off.  He  is  watching  for  our  return. 
And  before  we  have  time  to  make 
our  confession  he  gives  us  the  kiss 
of  peace,  puts  a  ring  upon  our  fin- 
ger, the  best  robe  upon  us,  and  makes 
a  feast  of  rejoicing. 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      69 


Who  of  us  can  resist  such  love? 
Who  stay  in  the  "far  country"? 
Christian,  conscious  of  having  wan- 
dered even  the  least,  return,  return. — 
H. 

244.  God,  What  He  Is  Like.    A 

missionary  told  how  she  was  once 
describing  the  loving  character  of 
the  Christian's  God  to  a  company  of 
her  Chinese  sisters.  As  she  went  on 
in  her  holy  enthusiasm,  picturing 
God's  real  character  as  full  of  mercy 
to  the  sinful  and  suffering,  one  of 
the  Chinese  women  turned  to  her 
neighbor  and  said,  "Haven't  I  often 
told  you  that  there  ought  to  be  a 
God  like  that?" 

245.  God's  Amnesty:  No  Ex- 
ceptions. George  III  issued  a 
proclamation  of  amnesty  during  our 
Revolutionary  War  to  all  those  in  re- 
bellion except  John  Hancock  and  a 
few  kindred  spirits.  God's  amnesty 
makes  no  exception.  Whosoever 
will  may  come  and  be  saved  on  the 
condition  of  repentance  and  faith. 

246.  God's  Own,  By  Creation 
and  Purchase.  See  Bought  With 
Blood. 

247.  Goodness,  Made  Attractive. 

In  the  wonderful  old  Church  of  St. 
Mark's,  at  Venice,  is  placed  an  ala- 
baster pillar  said  to  have  been  saved 
from  the  ruins  of  Solomon's  temple, 
and  now  used  as  part  of  the  support 
of  the  high  altar.  It  is  cut  in  a  beau- 
tiful spiral  shaft  of  graceful  propor- 
tions, and  blossoms  out  at  the  top  into 
an  exquisitely  carved  capital.  It 
stands  bravely  in  its  place,  and  bears 
its  share  of  the  weight.  But  your 
first  thought  is,  "How  beautiful !" 
Does  not  Jesus  mean  that  we  shall  be 
beautiful  as  well  as  strong  in  his 
service?  And  do  we  take  enough 
pains  to  make  goodness  attractive, 
and  so  adorn  his  doctrine  "in  all 
things"?  Christ  says,  "And  I,  if  I 
be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  unto 
me."  Ought  not  we  Christians  to 
have  more  of  this  drawing  power, 
not  that  we  may  draw  others  to  our- 
selves personally,  but  through  us  to 
him  whose  image  we  daily  pray  to 
bear? — M.  Deming. 

248.  Gospel,  Desired.  After  a 
recent  concert  given  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  soldiers,  one  of  them  was 


asked  to  propose  a  vote  of  thanks. 
He  arose  and  said :  "We  are  very 
grateful  for  the  amusement  afforded 
us  to-night;  and  we  appreciate  all 
the  musical  talent  brought  for  our 
enjoyment.  But  we  are  off  to  the 
front  to-morrow ;  and  I  do  not  know 
how  to  die.  I  am  not  prepared  to 
meet  God.  I  only  wish  there  had 
been  something  for  our  souls." 

249.  Gospel,  Hungry  For.  When 
Mr.  Sunday  was  in  Philadelphia  for 
one  memorable  day  in  March  he  cap- 
tured the  hearts  of  the  students  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
on  Friday  of  his  first  week  he  went 
out  again  to  meet  them  at  their  noon 
hour  in  the  big  gymnasium.  When  he 
stopped  his  address — he  said  it  was 
not  a  sermon — so  that  the  students 
might  get  something  to  eat,  they 
shouted,  "Go  on ;  go  on ;  we  would 
rather  hear  you  than  eat." 

Do  you  know  it,  the  people  in  this 
country  are  hungry  for  the  gospel. — 
H. 

250.  Gospel  in  the  Home.  Goe- 
the tells  of  a  wonderful  lamp  which, 
when  placed  in  a  fisherman's  hut, 
changed  all  within  it  to  beauty  and 
convenience.  So  the  Gospel  of 
Christ,  when  it  enters  a  home,  glori-^ 
fies  all  its  relationships  and  duties. 
It  makes  strength  gentle,  intellect 
careful,  will  righteous,  and  affection 
love.  It  sanctifies  all  trials  and 
blessings. 

251.  Grace  Enough  for  Me. 
There  is  a  story  of  a  poor  woman 
from  the  slums  of  London,  who  took 
her  first  trip  to  the  seashore,  and 
looked  for  the  first  time  on  the 
ocean.  Tears  were  streaming  down 
her  face.  And  one  standing  by 
asked  her  why  she  was  crying.  "Oh, 
it  is  so  wonderful !"  she  replied,  "to 
see  something  that  there  is  enough 
of."  So  we  may  stand  to-day  on 
the  shore  of  the  ocean  of  divine  love, 
and  as  we  look  upon  it  in  all  its 
grandeur  we  also  may  shed  tears,  but 
of  rejoicing,  that  at  last  we  have 
found  something  there  is  enough  of. 

252.  Grace,    Greatness    of.     An 

illiterate,  debauched  murderer,  in 
prison  for  life,  attended  the  prison- 
ers' night  school.  He  developed  a 
thirst  for  knowledge,  became  a  fol- 
lower of   Christ,   studied   mechanics, 


7o 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


and  for  more  than  twenty-five  years 
has  been  the  chief  engineer  of  the 
prison,  without  a  single  mark  against 
him.  God  is  great  enough  to  put 
enough  of  his  merciful  love  into  a 
worthless  murderous  life  to  place 
that  life  in  intimate  association  with 
his  own  beloved  Son. 

253.  Grace,  Not  Purchase.  When 
Clara  Barton  was  engaged  in  the 
Red  Cross  work  in  Cuba,  during  the 
Spanish-American  War,  ex-Presi- 
dent Roosevelt  (then  Colonel  Roose- 
velt) came  to  her  desiring  to  buy 
some  delicacies  for  the  sick  and 
wounded  men  under  his  command. 
His  request  was  refused.  Roosevelt 
was  troubled ;  he  loved  his  men  and 
was  ready  to  pay  for  the  supplies 
out  of  his  own  pocket.  "How  can  I 
get  these  things?"  he  said;  "I  must 
have  proper  food  for  my  sick  men." 
"Just  ask  for  them,  Colonel,"  said 
the  surgeon  in  charge  of  the  Red 
Cross  headquarters.  "Oh,"  said 
Roosevelt,  his  face  breaking  into  a 
smile,  "then  I  do  ask  for  them." 
And  he  got  them  at  once;  but  you 
notice  that  he  got  them  through 
grace,  and  not  through  purchase.  If 
men  could  buy  the  grace  of  a  quiet 
conscience  and  a  restful  heart,  how 
the  millionaires  would  vie  with  each 
other  at  such  an  auction;  but  no  one 
can  have  this  chain  of  heaven's  gold 
except  by  the  free  grace  of  God, 
which  is  offered  to  us  every  one. 
Salvation  is  not  for  sale.  But  it  can 
be  had.    Ask. — H. 

254.  Grace,  Offered.  Lincoln's 
proclamation  of  amnesty  to  the  Con- 
federates was  issued  regardless  of 
their  desire  for  it.  Some  held  out 
for  years.  Some  never  accepted  it. 
But  it  was  theirs  for  the  taking  all 
the  time.    So  with  God's  grace. 

255.  Grace,  Wonder  of.  "Mary," 
said  a  minister,  addressing  a  colored 
convert,  "is  not  the  love  of  God 
wonderful? — is  it  not  wonderful?" 
She  replied,  "I  do  not  think  it  is  so 
wonderful,  because  it  is  just  like 
him !" 

256.  Hand,  Touch  of.  Some  rude 
children  in  Madagascar  were  one  day 
calling  out,  "A  leper!  A  leper!"  to 
a  poor  woman  who  had  lost  all  her 
fingers  and  toes  by  the  dread  dis- 
ease. A  missionary  lady  who  was 
near  by  put  her  hand  on  the  woman's 


shoulder  and  asked  her  to  sit  down 
on  the  grass  by  her.  The  woman 
fell  sobbing,  overcome  by  emotion, 
and  cried  out,  "A  human  hand  has 
touched  me."  The  missionary  says 
that  in  that  moment  it  flashed  across 
her  mind  why  it  is  recorded  in  the 
Gospels  that  Jesus  touched  the  leper. 
That  is  just  what  others  would  not 
do.  It  was  the  touch  of  sympathy 
as  well  as  of  healing  power. 

257.  Heart,  a  New.  Physical 
hearts  can  be  repaired.  A  man  was 
brought  in  a  dying  condition  to  a 
hospital  in  Philadelphia,  his  heart 
stabbed  in  two  places.  He  was  un- 
conscious, and  pulseless  from  the  loss 
of  blood.  He  was  at  once  operated 
upon,  and  four  stitches  were  taken  in 
the  heart  muscles.  He  completely 
recovered  (this  has  been  verified  for 
the  Editor  by  the  surgeon  in 
charge)  and  was  discharged  from  the 
hospital  feeling  quite  well  except  for 
the  weakness  that  might  be  expected 
after  such  an  ordeal.  His  heart  ap- 
peared to  be  in  fair  condition,  and 
his  blood  pressure  was  about  nor- 
mal. We  may  well  thank  God  for 
the  wonders  that  he  enables  modern 
physicians  and  surgeons  to  accom- 
plish. But  we  thank  him  still  more 
for  his  spiritual  operations.  The 
physical  heart  can  be  repaired,  but 
not  the  spiritual  heart:  when  that  is 
injured  by  sin  it  is  beyond  repair. 
And  so  God  does  better  than  repair 
imperfect  hearts :  he  replaces  them. 
This  is  the  offer  of  the  Great  Phy- 
sician :  "I  will  take  the  stony  heart 
out  of  their  flesh,  and  will  give  them 
a  heart  of  flesh ;  that  they  may  walk 
in  my  statutes,  and  keep  my  ordi- 
nances, and  do  them :  and  they  shall 
be  my  people,  and  I  will  be  their 
God"  (Ezek.  2:19,  20).  Again  he 
says,  "A  new  heart  also  will  I  give 
you,  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put 
within  you"  (Ezek.  36:26).  David 
knew  his  own  need  when  he  cried 
unto  God,  out  of  the  black  hopeless- 
ness and  helplessness  of  his  own  sin- 
ning. "Create  in  me  a  clean  heart, 
O  God."  Creating  something  new  is 
better  than  repairing  the  old  and 
this  "new  creation"  in  Christ  is  the 
wonder-work  that  God  would  have 
us  all  receive. — Sunday  School 
Times. 

258.  Heart,  Christ  Dwelling 
Within.     A  widow  woman  lives  by 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      71 


herself  in  a  little  cottage  by  the  sea- 
shore. Of  all  whom  she  loved,  only 
one  survives — a  lad  at  sea ;  all  the 
rest  have  passed  "from  sunshine  to 
the  sunless  land."  She  has  not  set 
her  eyes  on  him  for  years.  But  her 
heart  is  full  of  him.  She  thinks  of 
him  by  day  and  dreams  of  him  by 
night.  His  name  is  never  left  out 
from  her  prayers.  The  winds  speak 
about  him;  the  stars  speak  about 
him  ;  the  waves  speak  about  him,  both 
in  storm  and  in  calm.  No  one  has 
difficulty  in  understanding  how  her 
boy  dwells  in  her  heart.  Let  that 
stand  as  a  parable  of  what  may  be 
for  every  believer  in  the  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ. — J.  Culross, 
D.D. 

259.  Heart,  Desired.  "My  son, 
give  me  thine  heart."  Prov.  23  :  26. 
There  is  a  story  of  a  colored  man 
who  came  to  a  watchmaker  and  gave 
him  the  hands  of  a  clock,  saying,  "I 
want  yer  to  fix  up  dese  hands.  Dey 
jest  doan'  keep  no  mo'  kerrec'  time 
for  mo'  den  six  monfs."  "Where 
is  the  clock?"  answered  the  watch- 
maker. "Out  at  de  house  on  Injun 
Creek."  "But  I  must  have  the  clock." 
"Didn't  I  tell  yer  dar's  nuffin'  de 
matter  wid  the  clock  'ceptin'  de  han's? 
And  I  done  brought  'em  to  yer.  You 
jes'  want  the  clock  so  you  can  tinker 
wit  it  and  charge  me  a  big  price. 
Give  me  back  dem  han's."  Foolish 
as  this  man  was,  his  caution  is  very 
like  that  of  people  who  try  to  regu- 
late their  life  without  being  made 
right  on  the  inside.  And  their  reason 
for  not  putting  themselves  into  the 
hands  of  the  Lord  is  very  similar  to 
the  reason  the  colored  man  gave. 
They  are  afraid  the  price  will  be 
too  great.  They  say,  "We  only  wish 
to  avoid  this  or  that  habit."  But  the 
Master  Workman  says,  "I  cannot 
regulate  the  hands  unless  I  have  the 
heart." — Christian  Herald. 

260.  Heart,  Desiring  God.  See 
God,  Desired. 

261.  Heart-Door  Opened.  See 
Door  of  the  Heart. 

262.  Heart,   Hardening  of.    The 

persistent  refusal  to  obey  God  and 
to  do  the  right  results  in  the  harden- 
ing of  the  human  heart.  There  is 
nothing  to  perplex  us  about  the  ques- 
tion,    "What     hardened     Pharaoh's 


heart?"  He  had  one  opportunity 
after  another  to  do  what  he  knew 
God  wanted  him  to  do,  but  he  re- 
fused. Persistent  perseverance  in  do- 
ing his  own  will,  and  refusing  to  do 
God's  will,  hardened  his  heart.  It 
developed  into  a  bad  habit.  By  his 
own  perverse  willfulness  he  strength- 
ened his  heart  against  the  Lord,  and 
his  resistance  grew  stronger  every 
day.  It  is  possible  that  we  may  do 
the  same  thing  to-day. 

263.  Heart,  Need  of  New.  There 
must  be  a  change  of  heart.  A  man 
buys  a  farm  and  he  finds  on  the  farm 
a  pump.  He  goes  to  the  pump  and 
begins  to  pump.  A  person  comes 
along  and  says,  "Look  here,  my 
friend,  you  don't  want  to  use  that 
water.  The  man  who  lived  here  be- 
fore, he  used  that  water,  and  it 
poisoned  him  and  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren." 

"Is  that  so?"  said  the  man.  "Well, 
I  will  soon  make  that  right.  I  will 
find  a  remedy."  And  he  goes  and 
gets  some  paint  and  paints  the  pump, 
putties  up  all  the  holes,  and  fills  up 
the  cracks  in  it,  and  now  he  has  a 
fine  looking  pump.  And  he  says, 
"Now  I  am  sure  it  is  all  right." 

You  would  say,  "What  a  fool  to  go 
and  paint  the  pump  when  the  water 
is  bad."  But  that  is  what  sinners 
are  trying  to  do.  They  are  trying  to 
paint  up  the  old  pump  that  has  al- 
ways given  bad  water.  It  was  a  new 
well  the  man  wanted,  and  the  sin- 
ner needs  a  new  heart. 

264.  Heart,    Need    of    Right.     A 

lady  who  had  lost  a  little  daughter 
took  a  photograph  and  painted  it 
with  rare  skill,  and  laid  it  in  a 
drawer,  and  was  grieved  to  find  that 
soon  afterwards  it  was  covered  with 
ugly  blotches.  She  painted  it  again 
and  it  was  soon  marred.  There  was 
something  wrong  with  the  paper, 
some  chemical  ingredients  in  undue 
proportions.  No  matter  how  beauti- 
ful the  picture  made  on  its  surface, 
ever  up  out  of  the  heart  of  the  pa- 
per would  come  the  ooze  of  decay. 
So  with  human  life,  the  heart  being 
wrong  spoils  all. — J.  R.  Miller,  D.D. 

265.  Heart,  Returned  by  God- 
See  God,  Let  Him  Return  Your 
Heart. 

266.  Hearts,  Conquered  by 
Christ.     A  gentleman  in  New  York 


72 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


had  a  fine  copy  of  Hoffman's  "Jesus 
Talking  to  the  Doctors."  One  day 
a  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  came 
in  on  business.  He  was  instantly  at- 
tracted by  the  picture  on  the  easel. 
His  eyes  would  go  back  to  it,  as  he 
talked,  again  and  again.  Later  in  the 
morning  he  came  back  again  and  said, 
"I  want  to  see  that  Boy  again."  I 
said,  "Take  it  into  my  private  office 
and  look  at  it  as  long  as  you  want 
to."  An  hour  passed,  and  then  he 
came  out  and  laid  the  picture  down, 
with  tears  running  down  his  face, 
and  said,  "The  Boy  has  conquered 
me,"  and  he  went  out  to  become  an 
earnest  Christian  devoted  to  the 
Master. — Speer. 

267.  Hindering  Others.  At  mid- 
night there  was  a  cry  of  "fire,"  and 
a  large  hotel  was  found  wrapped  in 
flames.  Heroic  men  rushed  to  the 
spot,  battled  with  the  flames  and  res- 
cued many  of  the  inmates  of  the 
burning  house.  But  in  an  upper  room 
were  a  man,  his  wife,  and  a  child. 
The  man  locked,  and  barred  his  door, 
and  would  neither  leave  the  room 
himself  nor  suffer  his  wife  or  child 
to  leave  it.  He  also  effectually  re- 
sisted the  efforts  of  those  who  would 
have  entered  to  save  them.  You  will 
say  this  man  was  either  a  madman 
or  a  fool.  What  then  will  you  say 
of  him  who  by  conscious  influence, 
or  unconscious  example,  prevents 
those  around  him  from  escaping  from 
the  destruction  which  will  overtake 
those  who  remain  in  sin? 

268.  Holy  Ghost  Preparation. 
To-day,  when  so  much  is  being  said 
about  religious  education,  the  tend- 
ency on  the  part  of  many  religious 
workers  is  to  shift  the  emphasis  and 
neglect  the  great  essential — the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  is  the  source 
of  wisdom,  spiritual  power  and  sal- 
vation. The  church  that  fails  to 
emphasize  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  loses  her  revival  and  spiritual 
energy.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost.  If  we  would  have  Pente- 
costal power,  we  must  depend  upon 
the  same  source.  Religious  educa- 
tion, church  organization,  equipment, 
and  machinery  are  not  enough.  We 
must  remember  that  it  is  "not  by 
might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my 
Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts."  "It 
is    the    Spirit    that    quickeneth,    the 


flesh     profiteth     nothing." — Religious 
Telescope. 

269.  Holy  Spirit,  Grieving.  Once 
a  man  who  owned  a  beautiful  house 
invited  one  of  his  friends  to  come 
and  live  with  him.  He  provided  for 
his  guest  a  room,  a  bed  to  sleep  in, 
and  a  place  at  his  table.  By  and  by, 
though,  he  met  another  man,  who 
charmed  him,  so  he  invited  this  one 
also  to  come  and  stay  with  him. 
He  went  to  the  one  that  he  had  in- 
vited first  and  asked  that  he  share 
his  room  with  the  stranger;  a  little 
while  afterward  he  was  asked  to 
give  up  his  bed  for  the  same  pur- 
pose ;  then  to  surrender  his  place  at 
the  table.  We  are  not  surprised  to 
know  that,  deeply  grieved,  he  left 
the  house  altogether. 

Thus  has  many  a  man  crowded  the 
blessed  Guest  from  his  heart.  When 
the  world  begins  to  war  with  the 
Spirit  for  the  possession  of  your 
heart,  beware  lest  the  Holy  One  be 
grieved  and  take  his  departure. — 
Mattie  M.  Boteler. 

270.  Hurry,  in  Salvation.  There 
was  a  fire  in  a  terrace  of  houses  in 
the  middle  of  the  night,  and  one  man 
discovering  the  fire,  cried  to  his  bed 
companion,  "Get  up  at  once,  the  house 
next  door  but  one  is  on  fire  i"  "Oh, 
wait  till  it  gets  next  door,"  growled 
his  sleepy  friend.  No  one  wishing  to 
be  saved  can  take  that  attitude. — H. 

271.  Indecision,  or  Hopeful 
Cases.  Some  of  the  most  hopeful 
features  of  a  soul's  condition  may 
be  accompanied  by  the  most  threat- 
ening and  awful  dangers.  One  is 
lest  the  soul  slip  back  again  from  this 
hopeful  state.  Do  you  "remember 
Lot's  wife?"  God  told  us  to  do  so. 
In  Bunyan's  "Pilgrim's  Progress," 
the  reader  will  recall,  one  of  the  com- 
pany came  suddenly  upon  a  pillar  of 
salt,  which  they  told  him  was  Lot's 
wife.  Do  you  remember  that  Pil- 
grim's name?  Think  a  moment,  for 
the  name  is  very  suggestive.  The 
name  is  just  Hopeful.  Hopeful  was 
the  one  who  needed  the  lesson  of 
Lot's  wife  most.  How  many  of  these 
hopeful  cases  have  we  seen,  young 
men  and  young  women,  older  men 
and  older  women,  who  at  the  critical 
moment  turned  back — gave  up  their 
efforts  to  follow  Christ.  A  hopeful 
state  is  a  state  with  grave  dangers. 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      73 


Another  danger  is  lest  the  awak- 
ened soul  be  content  to  stop  at  the 
spot  that  has  been  reached.  Not  far 
from  the  kingdom  is  not  in  the  king- 
dom. Almost  saved  is  not  altogether 
saved.  It  is  altogether  lost.  The 
man  in  th^snow  storm  on  the  Da- 
kota jpmriz,  was  "lost  in  sight  of 
henieY^  After  safely  circumnavigat- 
ing the  globe  the  Royal  Charter 
went  to  pieces  on  the  coast  of  Wales, 
almost  into  the  harbor.  Nearness  is 
not  possession.  Almost  saved  is  not 
saved.  It  is  a  dangerous  thing  for 
an  awakened  sinner  to  stop  where 
he  is. — H. 

272.  Indecision,  Years  of.  See 
Decision,  Need  of. 

273.  Influence,       Christian.        A 

Christian  lady  at  Long  Branch  was 
invited  to  attend  a  dance.  She  said 
"No."  Finally  a  senator  tried  to  per- 
suade her  to  attend.  "Senator,"  said 
the  lady,  "I  am  a  Christian ;  I  never 
do  anything  in  my  summer  vacation, 
or  wherever  I  go,  which  will  injure 
the  influence  I  have  over  the  girls 
in  my  Sunday-school  class."  The 
senator  bowed  and  said :  "I  honor 
you.  If  there  were  more  Christians 
like  you,  more  men  like  myself 
would  become  Christians." 

274.  Influence,  Given  to  Christ. 
I  know  a  young  man  who  confessed 
Christ,  and  within  a  week  his  ex- 
ample and  influence  were  instrumental 
in  leading  eighteen  young  men  to  do 
the  same  thing. 

In  the  battle  of  life  many  a  one 
falls  because  he  cannot  see  the  col- 
ors ;  because  there  is  no  one  near  to 
reinforce  his  failing  courage ;  no  one 
whose  clear,  strong  convictions  make 
the  truth  seem  truer,  and  right  more 
righteous,  and  Jesus  Christ  more 
real.  He  who  tries  to  serve  Christ 
secretly  is  robbing  the  world  of  a 
certain  influence  which  it  sadly  needs. 

"Let  the  redeemed  of  the  Lord  say 
so,"  then,  for  their  own  sakes,  for 
the  sake  of  the  unredeemed,  but 
above  all,  for  the  sake  of  the  Re- 
deemer.— Rev.  Howard  W.  Pope. 

275.    Influence,    Good    and    Bad. 

A  man  with  his  little  son  was  going 
along  a  country  road  on  a  dark,  star- 
less night.  Dark  as  the  night  was, 
the  boy  noticed  a  still  darker  spot 
near  by,  and,  drawing  closer  to  his 


father,  asked  what  it  was.  The  fa- 
ther replied :  "That  is  an  empty 
house ;  an  empty  house  at  night  is 
always  darker  than  no  house  at  all." 
And  how  true  that  is  in  the  world 
of  morals !  The  lights  from  some 
lives  shine  on  the  pathway  of  men 
and  make  the  way  easier ;  but  all  that 
some  others  contribute  to  men  is 
shadows  and  intensified  darkness  in  a 
darkened  world.  Think  of  your  use- 
fulness. Come  to  Christ  and  get  his 
light.  Shine  for  him,  and  bless 
others.  Don't  stay  in  the  dark  and 
make  darkness  darker. — H. 

276.  Influence,  Unconscious. 
Friends  had  tried  again  and  again  to 
get  one  of  the  worst  fellows  at  a 
soldiers'  camp  in  France  to  attend 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  meetings,  but  he 
would  not  come.  One  night,  how- 
ever, he  appeared  when  the  secre- 
tary was  speaking.  When  asked 
why  he  came  that  night  he  said,  "I 
saw  that  fellow  washing  dishes  one 
day  when  there  was  a  rush  at  the 
counter,  and  I  am  ready  to  listen  to 
a  man  who  is  big  enough  to  do  that." 
The  secretary  did  not  think  when  he 
washed  the  dishes  that  day  that  he 
was  doing  any  special  good  to  any 
one ;  but  here  was  a  soldier  watch- 
ing him,  ready  to  be  influenced  for 
good  by  him. — Christian  Herald. 

277.  Influence,  Unconscious. 
The  Family  Altar  has  a  story  of  an 
unusual  conversion.  A  young  woman 
came  before  the  session  of  a  Pres- 
byterian church  and  said  she  wished 
to  unite  with  that  church.  No  one 
present  knew  her;  she  made  an  un- 
usually clear  confession  of  faith,  im- 
pressing the  minister  so  much  that 
he  asked  her  how  she  had  been  led 
to  Christ.  "Through  Dr.  S.,"  she 
replied.  "Is  Dr.  S.  a  friend  of 
yours?"  she  was  asked.  "No,"  she 
said,  "I  have  never  met  or  even  seen 
him."  She  was  a  telephone  opera- 
tor, and  had  had  night  service,  from 
9  p.m.  to  3  a.m.  Receiving  many 
calls  for  this  physician,  Dr.  S.,  she 
had  more  than  once  rung  his  bell  by 
mistake.  Always  he  answered,  not 
only  with  courtesy,  but  in  a  voice 
that  showed  no  trace  of  impatience. 
It  was  such  a  grateful  relief  from  the 
surly,  sleepy  voices  of  others  awak- 
ened at  midnight  or  the  harsh  ex- 
pressions directed  at  her  when  she 
called  a  wrong  number  by  mistake, 


74 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


that  she  finally  became  deeply  inter- 
ested and  wanted  to  know  the  se- 
cret of  the  difference  between  Dr. 
S.,  and  other  men.  She  made  in- 
quiries about  him,  until  she  learned 
that  Christ  was  supreme  in  his  heart 
and  life,  and  that  what  she  was  so 
admiring  in  him  was  simply  Christ 
living  in  an  earnest  Christian.  Soon 
Dr.  S.'s  Saviour  was  her  Saviour. 
Herein  is  a  suggestion  for  those  who 
have  telephones  and  are  sometime* 
annoyed  by  untimely  calls. 

278.  Immediateness  of  Religion. 
"Immediately — I  sent  to  thee."  Acts 
10:33.  One  word  reveals  the  man. 
He  did  not  dilly-dally  about  his 
soul's  welfare.  When  Roosevelt  was 
president  he  said  that  when  he  wanted 
a  thing  done  he  sent  for  a  soldier. 
That  is  how  he  got  the  Panama 
Canal  dug.  The  earnest  man  never 
delays.  This  type  of  man  compels 
success.  Never  loses  a  moment  in 
attending  to  things,  especially  in 
matters  of  the  soul.  General  Frank 
P.  Blair,  after  listening  to  a  sermon 
in  a  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York, 
church  stood  up  before  the  congre- 
gation and  said,  "I  want  to  accept 
Jesus  Christ  as  my  Saviour  here  and 
now,  and  confess  him  before  men." 
That  was  the  splendid  soldier  of  it 
for  you.  Cornelius  sent  for  his 
friends.  In  Washington,  Secretary 
of  State  invited  Billy  Sunday  to  his 
house  to  tell  the  old,  old  story,  and 
he  sent  for  his  friends  in  the  official 
life  of  the  capital.  Cornelius  was 
the  "big  man"  of  Csesarea.  He  was 
a  Roman,  rich  and  influential.  You 
may  be  sure  all  the  invited  ones 
were  there.  Cornelius  is  one  of  the 
most  refreshing  men  in  the  Book  of 
Acts.— R. 

279.  Insensibility  Deplored.  My 
friends,  I  would  as  soon  possess  the 
heart  of  a  murderer,  of  a  traitor, 
nay,  of  a  fiend,  as  a  heart  which 
turns  cold  and  insensible  from  a 
crucified  Redeemer — from  bleeding, 
dying  love — from  the  perfection  of 
moral  beauty  and  excellence. — Rev. 
Edward  Payson,  D.D. 

280.  Invitation,  Come,  Then  Go. 
"Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in 
no  wise  cast  out."  A  little  boy  who 
saw  for  the  first  time  the  ;sign, 
"Common,"  in  Boston,  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  great  park  known  as 


Boston  Common,  called  out  joyfully, 
"It  don't  say,  'Keep  Off  the  Grass'; 
but  'Come  on' !"  And  this  is  the 
gospel  invitation.  Not  "Keep  off," 
but  "Come  on."  An  interested  lis- 
tener said  to  Mr.  Moody,  "One  might 
think  that  the  word  'Come'  was  your 
pet  text."  "I  have  two;  one  is 
'Come'  and  the  other  is  'Go,'  "  was 
the  answer.  "Come  for  cleansing 
and  acceptance.  Go  into  service.  Go 
and  get  others   to  come." 

281.  Invitation,  Gospel.  "But 
they  made  light  of  it."  Matt.  22 : 5. 
It  was  the  King's  invitation. 

"They  made  light  of  it."  They 
thought  they  were  judging  the  King. 
They  were  not.  Who  were  they 
judging?  Listen.  A  tourist  went 
to  "do"  one  of  the  picture  galleries 
in  Florence.  He  went  round  looking 
at  this  picture  and  that  and  then 
when  he  came  to  the  door  to  go  out, 
he  said  to  the  old  man  who  had 
kept  the  pictures  for  many  a  year,  "I 
do  not  think  much  of  your  pic- 
tures." "Oh,"  said  the  old  man, 
"that  does  not  matter,  sir;  the  pic- 
tures are  not  up  for  judgment,  but 
the  visitors  are."  Yes,  my  brethren, 
Jesus  Christ  is  not  up  for  judgment 
and  criticism,  but  the  visitors  are. — H. 

282.  Invitation,  Gospel.  See 
Come,    Say    It. 

283.  Invitation,     the     Universal. 

Elizabeth  Stuart  Phelps'  phrase, 
"The  Gates  Ajar,"  doesn't  do  justice 
to  the  wide-open  love  and  mercy  of 
my  Father's  house  of  many  mansions. 
One  of  the  poets  makes  us  sing: 

"Wondrous  love !     Oh,  can  it  be 
The  gate  of  heaven's  ajar  for  me?" 

Isaiah  fifty-five  is  not  a  gate  "ajar." 
I  remember  how  at  one  of  the  great 
State  Christian  Endeavor  conventions 
I  attended,  in  an  immense  skating- 
rink,  the  waiting  crowd  in  front 
filled  the  sidewalk  and  the  street, 
singing  gospel  hymns  to  pass  away 
the  time  until  the  doors  should  swing 
open.  And,  when  the  ushers  opened 
the  doors,  it  was  found  that  they 
stuck  at  the  bottom,  and  would  not 
swing  back  far  enough.  And  the 
crowd  was  choked  in  the  entrance 
until  some  one  cried,  "Take  those 
doors  off  their  hinges;  lift  them 
right  up !"  And  a  dozen  pairs  of 
strong  hands   seized   the   obstructing 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      75 


doors ;  and  they  were  raised  aloft, 
right  off  the  butt  hinges,  and  set 
aside,  and  with  a  shout  of  delight  the 
eager  throng  swept  in. 

if  Isaiah  found  the  "gates  ajar," 
he  lifted  them  off  their  hinges,  in 
this  wonderful  chapter,  and  set  them 
in  the  corner.  Isaiah  fifty-five  might 
be  called  the  "Ho,  every  one"  chap- 
ter.— Rev.  John  F.  Cowan,  D.D. 

284.  Invitation  to  Christ  Not 
Given.     See  Soul,  a  Neglected. 

285.  Invitations,  of  the  Gospel. 
"Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come 
ye  to  the  waters,  and  he  that  hath 
no  money ;  come  ye,  buy,  and  eat ; 
yea,  come,  buy  wine  and  milk  with- 
out money  and  without  price."  Isa. 
55:1.  These  Gospel  bells,  like  those 
around  the  high-priest's  garment,  are 
bells  of  invitation.  When  the  Jews 
heard  the  clash  of  those  bells  in  the 
hem  of  the  priest's  robe,  they  knew 
it  was  an  invitation  to  worship.  That 
is  the  meaning  of  every  church  tower, 
from  San  Francisco  to  New  York, 
and  from  London  to  St.  Petersburg. 
It  is  "Come,  come !"  The  word 
"come"  occurs  six  hundred  and 
forty-two  times  in  the  Bible.  It  is 
"Come  to  the  supper" ;  "Come  to  the 
waters";  "The  Spirit  and  the  Bride 
say  Come."  Through  all  sorrows, 
through  all  trials,  through  all  nights 
of  darkness,  through  all  calamities, 
through  all  temptations,  it  rings  out. 
"Come !  Come !  Come  !" — T.  DeWitt 
Talmage,  D.D. 

286.  Invitations,  to  Christ. 
"Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in 
no  wise  cast  out."  In  the  deserts, 
when  caravans  are  in  want  of  water, 
they  send  a  rider  some  distance 
ahead ;  then,  after  a  little  space,  an- 
other follows ;  and  then,  at  a  short 
distance,  another.  As  soon  as  the 
first  man  finds  water,  before  he  stoops 
to  drink,  he  shouts  aloud,  "Come !" 
The  next  one  repeats  the  word, 
"Come !"  So  the  shout  is  passed 
along  until  the  whole  wilderness 
echoes  with  the  word  "Come !" 

287.  Judgment,  Cannot  Be 
Avoided.  The  Roman  Emperor 
Antoninus  once  said  to  Rabbi  Judah 
the  Prince,  "On  the  great  day  of 
judgment,  soul  and  body  will  each 
plead  excuse  for  sin  committed.  The 
body  will  say  to  the  heavenly  Judge, 


'It  is  the  soul,  and  not  I,  that  has 
sinned.  Without  it  I  am  as  lifeless 
as  a  stone.'  On  the  other  hand,  the 
soul  will  say,  'How  canst  thou  im- 
pute sin  to  me?  It  is  the  body  that 
has  dragged  me  down.' " 

"Let  me  tell  you  a  parable,"  an- 
swered Rabbi  Judah  the  Prince.  "A 
king  once  had  a  beautiful  garden 
stocked  with  the  choicest  fruits.  He 
set  two  men  to  keep  guard  over  it 
— a  blind  man  and  a  lame  man.  T 
see  some  fine  fruit  yonder,'  said  the 
lame  man  one  day.  'Come  up  on  my 
shoulder,'  said  the  blind  man.  T 
will  carry  you  to  the  spot,  and  we 
shall  both  enjoy  the  fruit.'  The 
owner,  missing  the  fruit,  haled  both 
men  before  him  for  punishment. 
'How  could  I  have  been  the  thief,' 
queried  the  lame  man,  'seeing  that  I 
cannot  walk?'  'Could  I  have  stolen 
the  fruit?'  retorted  the  blind  man. 
T  am  unable  to  see  anything.'  What 
did  the  king?  He  placed  the  lame 
man  on  the  shoulders  of  the  blind 
man  and  sentenced  them  both  as  one." 

In  the  same  way  will  the  divine 
Judge  of  the  universe  mete  out  judg- 
ment to  body  and  soul  jointly. — Dr. 
J.  H.   Hertz. 

288.   Judgment,     Not      Delayed. 

A  lady  who  once  needed  legal  coun- 
sel was  advised  to  consult  a  promi- 
nent lawyer.  She  kept  putting  it  off, 
and  when  she  finally  went  to  him 
and  began  to  state  her  case,  he  said, 
"Madam,  you  are  too  late.  I  cannot 
be  your  advocate,  for  I  have  been 
appointed  your  judge."  God  for- 
bid that  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth 
should  apply  such  words  to  any  of 


289.  Jesus,  Friendship  With. 
Dr.  J.  R.  Miller,  the  well-known 
author  of  many  fine  devotional  books, 
made  this  the  text  of  his  talks  and 
essays:  "Religion  means  just  one 
thing  to  me,  Jesus  and  I  are  friends." 
That  is  a  safe  and  central  fact  out 
of  which  all  true  religious  life  and 
experience  must  grow.  It  is  a  blessed 
relation  that  will  remain  unbroken. 
A  friend  loveth  at  all  times.  More- 
over, Jesus  calls  us  friends,  and  he 
himself  is  a  friend  that  sticketh  closer 
than  a  brother.  This  relation  of 
friendship  with  Jesus,  in  the  true 
and  substantial  sense,  is  based  on 
an  obedient  disposition  of  the  will 
towards  him.     "Ye  are  my  friends, 


76 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


if  ye  do  whatsoever  I  command  you." 
Abraham  was  called  the  friend  of 
God  because,  in  obedience  to  the  di- 
vine will,  he  offered  up  his  son  Isaac 
in  holy  sacrifice.  To  be  a  friend  of 
Jesus  means  much,  but  to  have  Jesus 
for  a  friend  means  more,  because  he 
is  infinitely  greater  than  we. 

290.  Jesus  Saves.  In  July,  1916, 
I  was  asked  to  go  for  a  fortnight  to 
the  Canadian  soldiers,  who  were  en- 
camped at  the  great  camp  at  Val- 
cartier,  not  many  miles  from  Quebec. 
One  night — I  shall  never  forget  it- 
it  was  the  last  but  one — I  spoke  in 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  tent  to  a  body  of 
men  soon  to  pass  over  the  ocean — 
line  upon  line  of  closely  packed  sol- 
diers in  khaki;  strong,  serious  men 
rolling  out  the  standard  hymns  of 
the  English-speaking  race,  "Abide 
With  Me,"  "Stand  Up,  Stand  Up  for 
Jesus."  I  pleaded  with  them  to  give 
their  hearts  to  the  Saviour,  and  not 
to  be  ashamed  of  him  who  died  for 
them.  I  remembered  something  I 
heard  the  Rev.  Sydney  Selwyn  tell 
many  years  ago.  "Men,"  I  said, 
"men,  I  want  you  to  do  something 
for  me !"  There  was  instant  hush. 
Every  face  looked  up  with  curious 
interest.  "Now  look  here,  I  am  go- 
ing to  repeat  to  you  five  letters ;  and 
I  want  you  to  repeat  to  me  five 
words.  You  understand?  As  I  say 
the  letter,  you  all  answer  with  a  loud 
voice  the  word.  Now  I  will  say  the 
letters  and  you  say  the  words. 

J — Jesus 
E — Exactly 
S — Suits 
U— Us 
S — Sinners 

Eyes  all  around  were  moist  with 
inexpressible  emotion,  and  here  and 
there  tears  dropped  silently.  They 
were  no  longer  heroes.  They  were 
no  longer  soldiers  of  romance.  The 
glamour  of  war  had  vanished.  They 
were  just  hungry  souls,  needy  souls, 
yearning  souls,  souls  for  whom  Christ 
died. 

Next  night  was  my  last.  It  was 
Wednesday,  August  2,  1916.  The 
great  canvas  auditorium  was  crowded 
with  soldiers,  Protestant  and  Cath- 
olic, English-speaking  and  French- 
Canadians  all.  I  told  them  once  more 
of  Christ  the  living  King,  ever  able 
to  save  and  keep,  and  then  I  re- 
minded  them   of   the   words   I   had 


given  them  the  night  before.  "Now, 
men,"  I  said,  "I  want  you  to  do  one 
thing  more  for  me.  It's  the  last 
thing  I  shall  ever  ask  you  to  do.  As 
I  give  you  the  five  letters,  I  want 
you  to  repeat  after  me  the  five  words 
which  I  shall  give  you.  Now,  all 
together!"  And  all  together,  as  in  a 
tumultuous  antiphone,  the  voices  an- 
swered mine: 

J — Jesus 
E — Exactly 
S — Suits 
U— Us 
S — Sinners 

The  men  who  tented  there  that 
summer  crossed  the  ocean,  and  in 
many  cases  their  bodies  lie  "Over 
There."  But  never  will  the  writer 
forget  the  quiver  of  buoyant  hope 
that  passed  through  that  mass  of  sol- 
diers, soon  to  go  forth  in  the  death- 
less cause  of  liberty  and  right. — 
Dyron  Hague. 

291.  Jesus  Shut  Out.  I  remem- 
ber hearing  some  years  ago  of  an 
incident  which  occurred  near  Inver- 
ness. A  beautiful  yacht  had  been 
sailing  in  the  Moray  Firth.  The 
owners  of  it — two  young  men — 
landed  at  Inverness,  purposing  to 
take  a  walking  tour  through  the 
Highlands.  But  they  lost  their  way, 
and  darkness  found  them  wandering 
aimlessly  about  in  a  very  desolate 
spot.  At  last,  about  midnight,  they 
fortunately  came  upon  a  little  cottage, 
at  the  door  of  which  they  knocked 
long  and  loudly  for  admittance.  But 
the  inmates  were  all  in  bed  and 
curtly  the  young  men  were  told  to 
go  elsewhere  and  make  no  more  dis- 
turbance there.  Luckily,  they  found 
shelter  in  another  house  some  dis- 
tance away.  But  next  morning  the 
inhospitable  people  heard  a  rumor 
that  filled  them  with  chagrin  and 
gave  them  a  lesson  which  they  would 
not  be  likely  to  soon  forget.  What 
do  you  think  it  was  ?  Just  this  :  that 
the  two  young  men  who  knocked  in 
vain  at  their  door  the  previous  night 
were  Prince  George  and  his  brother, 
the  late  Duke  of  Clarence — the  most 
illustrious  visitors  in  the  kingdom. 
You  can  fancy  the  shame  the  people 
must  have  felt  thus  unconsciously  to 
have  shown  themselves  so  inhospita- 
ble to  the  noblest  persons  in  all  the 
land.  But  are  we  any  better?  Are 
we  not,  indeed,   much  worse  if  we 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      77 


shut  Jesus  Christ,  the  greatest  of  all 
Kings,  out  of  our  hearts? 

292.  Kept,  by  the  Power  of  God. 
Dr.  H.  Clay  Trumbull  used  to  tell 
with  keen  pleasure  of  the  glimpse 
he  once  had  of  the  secret  of  Napo- 
leon's power  over  his  soldiers.  Hap- 
pening to  meet  a  French  veteran  who 
had  served  under  the  great  com- 
mander, Dr.  Trumbull  asked  him : 
"Did  Napoleon's  soldiers  like  him?" 
"Like  him !"  exclaimed  the  old 
Frenchman,  straightening  up,  his  eyes 
snapping  excitedly.  "Like  him !  We 
believed  in  him.  Napoleon  say:  'Go 
to  the  moon.'  Every  soldier  start. 
Napoleon  find  the  way."  And  we 
have  a  Commander  who  is  greater 
than  Napoleon.  Start  out  in  the 
Christian  life,  friend,  and  Christ  will 
find  the  way.  "Kept."  "Kept  by  the 
power  of  God."  "Through  faith." 
"Unto   Salvation."— H. 

293.  Kept,  Through  God's  Care. 

The  story  is  told  of  a  poor  woman 
who  applied  to  the  Sultan  of  Turkey 
and  asked  compensation  for  the  loss 
of  her  property.  "How  did  you  lose 
it?"  he  inquired.  "I  fell  asleep  and 
robbers  came  and  stole  it."  "But  why 
did  you  fall  asleep?"  he  queried.  "I 
fell  asleep  because  I  believed  that  you 
were  awake,"  was  the  astonishing  re- 
ply. The  Sultan  was  pleased  with 
her  trust,  it  is  said,  and  restored  her 
goods.  Human  governments  are  sup- 
posed never  to  slumber.  They  are 
supposed  to  be  alert  to  protect  their 
subjects.  But  they  fail.  God's  gov- 
ernment never  fails.  He  never  slum- 
bers. He  is  always  "keeping  watch 
above  his  own." 

294.  Knock  Neglected.  There 
was  an  old  turnpike  man  in  a  quiet 
country  road  whose  habit  was  to  shut 
his  gate  at  night  and  take  a  nap. 
One  dark,  wet  night  I  knocked  at 
his  door,  crying,  "Gate !  Gate !" 
"Coming,"  said  the  voice  of  the  old 
man.  Then  I  knocked  again,  and 
once  more  the  voice  replied,  "Cpm- 
ing."  This  went  on  for  some  time, 
till  at  length  I  opened  the  door  and 
demanded  to  know  why  he  cried, 
"Coming,"  for  so  long  and  never 
came.  "Who's  there?"  said  the  old 
man  in  a  sleepy  voice.  "What  d'ye 
want,  sir?"  Then,  awakening,  "Bless 
yer,  sir,  and  yer  pardon ;  I  was 
asleep.    I  get  so  used  to  hearing  them 


knock  that  I  answer  'Coming'  in  my 
sleep,  and  take  no  more  notice  about 
it."  So  it  is  with  too  many  hearers 
of  the  Gospel,  who  hear  by  habit, 
and  answer  God  by  habit,  and  at 
length  die  with  their  souls  asleep. — 
Sunday-School  Chronicle. 

295.  Knocking,  in  Vain.  See 
Jesus  Shut  Out. 

296.  Learning  to  Love  God.    A 

little  maiden  once  came  to  Mark  Guy 
Pearse  in  great  distress  because,  as 
she  said,  she  could  not  love  Jesus 
Christ.  She  did  want  to  love  him, 
but  somehow  she  couldn't.  So  the 
genial  minister  said  to  her :  "Well, 
my  little  woman,  don't  keep  think- 
ing about  your  love  to  Jesus,  but  just 
keep  on  saying,  'Jesus  loves  me.' 
Say  it  to  yourself  over  and  over 
again ;  and  come  and  see  me  to-mor- 
row." The  little  girl  did  as  she  was 
told,  and  when  she  came  to  see  Mr. 
Pearse  the  next  day  there  was  no 
need  to  tell  him  of  the  change  that 
had  taken  place.  Her  face  was  radi- 
ant. The  love  of  God  had  been 
shed  abroad  in  her  heart  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  which  had  been  given  to  her. 
We  can  learn  to  love  God.  Think 
of  his  love.  "We  love  him  because 
he  first  loved  us." — H. 

297.  Life,  from  God.  In  the  pic- 
ture of  the  creation  of  man  on  the 
Sistine  Chapel  ceiling,  says  Dr.  Bur- 
rell,  the  man  is  represented  as  lying 
upon  a  mossy  mound  reaching  up  his 
hand  towards  another  stretched  down 
from  heaven,  and  from  the  hand  of 
the  Creator  an  electric  spark  is  pass- 
ing to  him.  The  beginning  of  life 
is  to  be  thrilled  by  the  life  of  God, 
and  to  proclaim  the  fact  to  the  world 
by   lip  and   life. 

298.  Life,    Its    Second    Chance. 

A  distinguished  musician  ordered  a 
manufacturer  of  violins  to  make  for 
him  the  best  instrument  possible.  He 
told  him  to  use  the  best  material, 
take  all  the  time  he  wished,  and  use 
all  his  skill  in  its  construction. 

At  last  the  manufacturer  sent  for 
the  musician  to  come  and  try  the 
violin.  As  the  musician  drew  the 
bow  across  the  instrument  his  face 
became  clouded.  Lifting  the  instru- 
ment, he  smashed  it  to  pieces  on  the 
counter,  handed  the  price  to  the  man- 
ufacturer and  left  the  shop. 


78 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


The  manufacturer  was  not  satis- 
fied with  mere  pay,  his  reputation  was 
at  stake.  He  gathered  the  fragments 
of  the  violin  and  put  them  together. 
After  he  had  remade  the  violin  out 
of  the  pieces,  he  again  sent  for  the 
musician.  This  time  the  frown  was 
not  seen ;  as  he  drew  the  bow  across 
the  strings  he  told  the  manufacturer 
that  he  had  succeeded  at  last  in  mak- 
ing just  the  kind  of  an  instrument 
that  he  desired.  "What  is  the  price  ?" 
inquired  the  musician.  "Nothing  at 
all,"  replied  the  manufacturer;  "it 
is  the  same  instrument  that  you 
smashed  to  pieces  some  time  ago ;  I 
put  it  together,  and  out  of  the  frag- 
ments this  perfect  music  has  been 
made." 

Let  us  believe  the  parable.  God 
can  take  the  fragments  of  a  shat- 
tered life,  and  by  his  grace  put  them 
together  so  that  under  the  touch  of 
his  Holy  Spirit  there  will  go  forth 
music  good  enough  for  earth  and 
Heaven. — A.  C.  Dixon,  D.D. 

299.  Life  Spared  for  Salvation. 
See  Waiting,  To  Be  Saved. 

300.  Life,  Testifying  to  Christ. 
Apelles  and  Protogenes  were  two 
great  painters  living  in  Rhodes, 
Apelles  the  more  famous.  One  day 
Protogenes  determined  to  paint  a  pic- 
ture that  would  outdo  Apelles.  The 
conception  in  his  mind,  he  worked 
away  day  after  day,  until  his  picture 
was  nearly  completed.  While  putting 
on  the  finishing  touches  he  was  called 
away  from  his  studio  for  several 
hours.  While  he  was  gone  his  friend 
Apelles  came  in.  His  eye  at  once 
caught  the  beauty  of  the  picture. 
He  snatched  up  the  brush  and  began 
to  touch  up  the  canvas.  Soon  he  had 
a  more  beautiful  picture  than  Pro- 
togenes had  conceived  of.  Then, 
hiding  himself,  he  waited  for  his 
friend's  return.  Protogenes,  on  see- 
ing his  picture,  started  back  in  amaze- 
ment. Then  he  cried :  'Apelles  has 
been  here,  for  no  one  could  have  done 
this  but  Apelles." 

So  none  could  paint  on  the  canvas 
of  life  as  Christ  did.  Others  had 
tried  to  beautify  the  world,  but  the 
touch  of  Christ  upon  the  life  of  a 
man  or  woman  leads  us  to  exclaim 
unhesitatingly :  "Jesus  Christ  has  been 
here,  for  no  one  else  could  have  done 
this." — Rev.  G.  H.  Hilton. 


301.  Life,  the  Unsatisfied.  There 
is  said  to  be  a  strange  plant  in  South 
America  which  finds  a  moist  place 
and  sends  its  roots  down,  and  be- 
comes green  for  a  little  while  until 
the  place  becomes  dry,  when  it  draws 
itself  out  and  rolls  itself  up  and  is 
blown  along  by  the  wind  until  it 
comes  to  another  moist  place,  where 
it  repeats  the  same  process.  On  and 
on  the  plant  goes,  stopping  wherever 
it  finds  a  little  water  until  the  spot 
is  dry;  then  in  the  end,  after  all  its 
wanderings,  it  is  nothing  but  a  bun- 
dle of  dry  roots  and  leaves.  It  is 
the  same  with  those  who  drink  only 
of  this  world's  springs.  They  drink 
and  thirst  again,  and  go  on  from 
spring  to  spring,  blown  by  the  winds 
of  passion  and  desire,  and  at  last 
their  souls  are  nothing  but  bundles 
of  unsatisfied  desires  and  burning 
thirsts. 

Come  to  Christ.  Drink  from  the 
fountain  of  life  and  be  satisfied. — H. 

302.  Lord,  Call  Him.  In  Acts 
10 :  14  we  read,  "Peter  said,  Not  so, 
Lord."  Have  you  ever  thought  of 
what  a  contradiction  in  terms  we 
have  there?  You  have  either  got  to 
drop  the  words  "Not  so,"  or  you 
have  got  to  drop  the  word  "Lord." 
I  spent  two  hours  yesterday  with  a 
lady  in  this  tent  over  these  words, 
and  then  I  wrote  them  down  in  the 
margin  of  her  Bible  at  the  bottom 
of  the  page;  and  I  handed  her  the 
Bible  and  the  pencil  and  I  said, 
"The  time  has  come  for  you  to  make 
the  decision.  Are  you  going  to  score 
out  the  words,  Not  so,  or  the  word 
Lord?  You  must  do  one  or  the 
other."  There  was  a  great  struggle 
in  her  heart,  and  through  tears  she 
scored  out  the  words  "Not  so."  I 
said,  "What  have  you  got  left?"  and 
she  said,  "The  Lord."  Is  not  the 
Lord  enough? — Rev.  W.  Graham 
Scroggie. 

303.  Loyalty,  to  Christ.  When 
Queen  Victoria  had  just  ascended  her 
throne  she  went,  as  is  the  custom  of 
royalty,  to  hear  "The  Messiah"  ren- 
dered. She  had  been  instructed  as 
to  her  conduct  by  those  who  knew, 
and  was  told  that  she  must  not  rise 
when  the  others  stood  at  the  singing 
of  the  Hallelujah  Chorus.  When 
that  magnificent  chorus  was  being 
sung  and  the  singers  were  shouting 
"Hallelujah!      Hallelujah!      Hallelu- 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      79 


jah !  for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent 
reigneth,"  she  sat  with  great  diffi- 
culty. It  seemed  as  if  she  would 
rise  in  spite  of  the  custom  of  kings 
and  queens,  but  finally  when  they 
came  to  that  part  of  the  chorus  where 
with  a  shout  they  proclaim  him  King 
of  kings  suddenly  the  young  queen 
rose  and  stood  with  bowed  head,  as 
if  she  would  take  her  own  crown 
from  off  her  head  and  cast  it  at  his 
feet.  Let  us  make  him  King  and 
every  day  be  loyal  to  him.  This  is 
the  secret  of  peace. — J.  Wilbur 
Chapman,  D.D. 

304.  Love,  Constraint  of.  "Him 
that  cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  no 
wise  cast  out."  John  6:  37.  A  man 
who  had  been  converted  from  a  sin- 
ful life  gave  this  experience  of  his 
acceptance  with  Jesus:  "I  just  crept 
to  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and,  greatly  to 
my  astonishment,  he  did  not  scold 
me — he  knew  I  had  been  scolded 
enough ;  and  he  didn't  pity  me ;  and 
he  didn't  give  me  any  advice  either. 
He  knew  I  had  had  plenty  of  that. 
He  just  put  his  arms  around  my 
neck  and  loved  me.  And  when  the 
sun  arose  I  was  a  new  man." 

305.  Love  for  Christ  Confessed. 
Do  you  not  feel  as  if  you  wanted  to 
do  something  to  make  the  "Man  of 
Sorrows"  a  "Man  of  Joy"?  Pro- 
claim, then,  everywhere,  and  as  often 
as  you  can,  that  you  are  his  friend, 
and  that  he  is  your  Redeemer.  Does 
a  wife  ever  tire  of  hearing  her  hus- 
band say  that  he  loves  her?  Neither 
does  Jesus  ever  grow  weary  of  hear- 
ing our  profession  of  love  and  faith 
in  him.  Neglect  to  do  it  grieves  the 
Saviour,  and  robs  him  of  exceeding 
joy.    It  also  robs  him  of  our  influence. 

306.  Love,    from   the    King.     In 

Gipsy  Smith's  autobiography,  he  re- 
lates this  incident :  "On  another  oc- 
casion we  went  to  see  the  King  re- 
viewing his  troops.  Amid  all  the 
military  show  one  little  incident 
touched  me  most.  A  little  sweep 
came  running  past  the  spot  where  the 
King  was  on  his  horse.  His  face 
was  black  and  his  feet  were  bare,  but 
as  he  passed  the  monarch  of  Sweden 
he  raised  his  dirty  hand  and  saluted 
his  sovereign.  The  King  smiled 
upon  the  little  fellow  and  returned 
the  salute.  Immediately  afterwards 
a  dashing  officer  came  galloping  up 


on  a  fine  horse.  His  uniform  shone 
like  gold,  and  his  sword  rattled  as 
he  careered  bravely  along.  He  also 
saluted  the  King.  The  King  saluted 
back  with  all  the  dignity  of  a  sov- 
ereign, but  I  thought  I  missed  the 
kindly  gleam  of  the  eye  with  which 
he  had  greeted  the  waving  of  the 
little  sweep's  dirty  hand,  and  I  said 
to  myself,  'This  King  loves  the  little 
sweep  as  much  as  the  fine  officer,  and 
I  love  him  for  it.' "  Thus  it  is  with 
our  King  Jesus.  "There  can  be 
neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  there  can  be 
neither  bond  nor  free,  .  .  .  for  ye  all 
are  one  man  in  Christ  Jesus." 

This  King  loves  us  every  one. — H. 

307.  Love,  God's  Love  Awakens 
Ours.  "We  love  him  because  he 
first  loved  us."  1  John  4 :  19.  A 
little  girl  was  playing  with  her  doll 
while  mother  was  writing.  After  a 
while  the  mother  called  the  child  and 
took  her  on  her  lap.  The  little  one 
said :  "I  am  so  glad ;  I  wanted  to  love 
you  so  much,  mamma." 

"Did  you,  darling,"  and  she  clasped 
her  tenderly.  "I  am  glad  my  daugh- 
ter loves  me  so :  but  were  you  lonely 
while  I  wrote?  You  "and  dolly 
seemed  to  be  having  a  happy  time 
together." 

"Yes,  mamma;  but  I  got  tired  of 
loving  her." 

"And  why?" 

"Oh,  because  she  never  loves  me 
back." 

"And  that  is  why  you  love  me?" 

"That  is  one  why,  mamma ;  but 
not  the  first  one  or  the  best." 

"And  what  is  the  first  one  and 
best?" 

"Why,  mamma,  don't  you  guess?" 
and  the  blue  eyes  were  very  bright 
and  earnest.  "It's  because  you  loved 
me  when  I  was  too  little  to  love 
back ;  that's  why  I  love  you  so." 

This  is  an  outliving  of  the  very 
truth  of  the  Gospel.  While  we  were 
yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us,  and 
we  love  God  because  he  first  loved 
us.  It  is  the  love  of  God  for  us 
that  awakens  and  feeds  our  love  for 
him. 


308.     Love  Makes  Lovely. 
Transformed  by  Love. 


See 


309.     Love,   of   Father.     At   the 

conclusion  of  a  Sunday  evening  serv- 
ice some  months  ago,  a  gentleman 
came  to  me  to  thank  me  for  the  ser- 


8o 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


mon.  Pointing  to  a  magnificent 
specimen  of  manhood  in  khaki,  with 
the  tears  trembling  in  his  eyes  and 
trembling  in  his  voice,  he  said :  "He 
'is  only  eighteen.  He's  my  only  son. 
I  never  knew  before  the  meaning  of 
'God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave 
his  only  begotten  Son.'  I  know 
now."  His  only  son,  whom  he  pas- 
sionately loved,  for  the  sake  of  his 
country  he  had  laid  on  the  altar  of 
sacrifice,  and  had  entered  somewhat 
into  the  meaning  of  God's  sacrifice 
when  he  gave  his  Son  up  to  the  death 
of  the  cross  that  wc  might  be  re- 
deemed and  saved. — A.  Clark. 

310.  Love,  Serving  from.  See 
Redeemer,   Serving  One. 

311.  Love,  That  Seeks  and  Cares. 

See   God,   His   Seeking  Love. 

312.  Love,  Wins  Hearts.  The 
way  to  win  hearts  is  to  show  kind 
attentions  and  utter  kind  sentiments. 
"You  have  called  me  brother!"  cried 
the  Russian  beggar  radiantly,  who  had 
just  begged  of  Tolstoi  without  re- 
ceiving anything.  "I  am  sorry,  my 
brother,"  said  Tolstoi,  "but  I  do  not 
have  a  single  copeck  about  me." 
"You  have  given  me  more  than  I 
asked  for,"  was  the  joyous  answer. 
"I  asked  for  a  few  coins,  and  you 
have  called  me  brother." — Pilgrim 
Teacher. 

313.  Loving  God,  With  All  the 
Heart.  "Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with 
all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  strength, 
and  with  all  thy  mind."  Luke  10:27. 
Suppose  a  mother  gave  her  child  a 
beautiful  flower  plant  in  bloom,  and 
told  her  to  carry  it  to  a  sick  friend. 
The  child  takes  it  away,  and  when 
she  reaches  the  friend's  door  she 
plucks  off  one  leaf  and  gives  it  to 
her,  keeping  the  plant  herself.  Has 
she  obeyed  her  mother's  command? 
Then,  afterward,  once  a  day,  she 
plucks  off  another  leaf,  or  a  bud,  or 
a  flower ;  and  takes  to  the  friend, 
still  retaining  the  plant.  Did  she  obey 
the  command  of  her  mother?  Noth- 
ing but  the  giving  of  the  whole  plant 
could  fulfill  the  mother's  directions. 
Is  that  not  a  simple  illustration  of 
what  we  give  God?  He  commands 
us  to  love  him  with  all  our  heart  and 
with  all  our  being,  and  we  pluck  off 


a  little  leaf  of  love  now  and  then,  a 
little  bud  or  flower  of  affection,  or 
one  cluster  of  fruit  from  the  bending 
branches,  and  give  it  to  him,  and  we 
call  that  obeying. — Rev.  J.  R.  Miller, 
D.D. 

314.  Lukewarmness,  Not  Suffi- 
cient. At  what  temperature  does 
water  boil?  But  is  two  hundred  and 
twelve  degrees  really  necessary? 
Surely  water  would  boil  if  subjected 
long  enough  to  a  temperature  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  degrees,  would  it 
not?  No?  Then  one-hundred-and- 
fifty-degree  water  cannot  be  of  much 
use  in  doing  the  world's  work.  O.  S. 
Marden  says :  "Lukewarmness  in  his 
work  stands  in  the  same  relation  to 
man's  achievement  as  lukewarm  water 
does  to  a  locomotive  boiler.  No  one 
can  hope  to  accomplish  anything 
great  in  the  world  until  he  throws 
his  whole  soul  into  it."  Business 
men  have  no  use  for  lukewarm  em- 
ployees ;  they  want  those  whose  en- 
ergy and  enthusiasm  are  always  at 
boiling  point — the  point  where  things 
are    done. 

Then  isn't  it  reasonable  to  think 
that  God  wants  boiling-point  Chris- 
tians for  his  work?  In  fact,  he  tells 
us  that  he  cannot  abide  a  lukewarm 
Christian. 

315.  Man,    Each    One    Counts. 

"The  story  is  told  in  an  old  Tamil 
book  of  twelve  Brahmans,  on  a  pil- 
grimage, who,  while  crossing  a 
stream,  escaped  with  great  difficulty. 
Uncertain  if  all  were  alive,  one  of 
the  pilgrims  counted  his  companions: 
'Ondru,  rendu,  mundru,  nalo,  ainthu, 
aru,  eru,  ettu,  onpathu  pathinondru!' 
thus  giving  the  numerals  from  one 
to  eleven.  Alas,  there  are  but  eleven 
of  us,  and  one  of  us  must  be 
drowned !' 

"But  who  was  missing?  All  re- 
sponded to  their  names.  A  second 
pilgrim  ranged  his  comrades  in  line, 
and  counted.  The  result  was  the 
same.  There  were  only  eleven  men ; 
and  yet  they  were  certain  that  no  one 
was    missing. 

"  'Let  me  count !'  said  a  third 
Brahman.  When  he  had  finished  he 
declared  that  somebody  was  dead. 
Much  puzzled,  the  men  agreed  to 
consult  a  hermit  who  lived  near. 

"The  hermit  asked  them  to  stand 
in  a  row  while  she  counted :  'Ondru, 
rendu,  mundru,  nalu,  ainthu,  aru,  eru, 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      81 


ettu,  onpathu,  pathu,  pathinondru, 
panirendu ! 

"  'Why,  there  are  twelve  of  you !' 
she  said.     'It  is  all  right' 

"It  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  con- 
vince them,  but  they  finally  admitted 
their  error  when  they  found  that  each 
one  of  them  had  forgotten  to  count 
himself !" 

The  late  Jacob  Chamberlin  in  tell- 
ing the  story,  in  "The  Kingdom  in 
India,"  asked:  "Do  not  we,  fellow 
Christians,  too  often  fall  into  this 
very  Brahman  dullness,  and  in  God's 
work  each  fail  to  count  himself  or 
herself?  If  there  is  real  work  to 
be  done  'for  Christ  and  the  Church' 
are  we  not  prone  diligently  and  re- 
peatedly to  count  all  the  others,  and 
perhaps  unconsciously  neglect  to 
count   ourselves?" 

The  commission  of  the  Master  is, 
"Ye  shall  be  my  witnesses."  We 
hear,  but  are  so  apt  to  interpret  the 
message  as  applying  to  any  one, 
every  one,  but  ourselves.  How  many 
Christians,  thus  leaving  themselves 
out  of  the  count,  take  no  part  in 
the  God-given  work  of  seeking  the 
lost?  What  of  our  opportunities  to 
witness  for  Christ  to  those  we  meet 
in  the  home,  in  business,  or  when 
we  are  seeking  our  pleasure?  Since 
God  says,  "Ye,"  let  us  be  careful  to 
count  ourselves  in,  that  we,  too,  may 
have  a  part  in  bringing  the  answer 
to  our  own  prayer,  "Thy  Kingdom 
come." — Rev.  John  T.  Ferris,  D.D. 

316.  Man,  Pricing  Himself.  "Be- 
cause thou  hast  sold  thyself." 

"Still,  as  of  old,  man  by  himself  is 

priced ; 
For  thirty  pieces,  Judas  sold  himself 

— not   Christ." 

317.  Man,  Sinful.  Remember 
Boswell's  remark  to  Johnson :  "Don't 
you  think,  sir,  that  man  is  naturally 
good?"  "No,"  was  the  answer,  "no 
more  than  a  wolf." 

318.  Men,  Led  to   Christ.     Mr. 

Marshall  Hudson,  founder  of  the 
Baraca  movement,  spent  a  Sunday 
in  Old  Forge,  N.  Y.,  a  small  village 
in  the  Adirondack  Mountains,  in  the 
early  fall  of  1911.  At  the  close  of 
the  evening  service  five  young  men 
came  to  his  room  to  see  him  with 
regard  to  some  committee-  work  in 
connection  with  a  Baraca  class  they; 


were  organizing.  Very  tactfully  Mr. 
Hudson  inquired  how  many  of  these 
five  were  Christians.  He  found  that 
not  one  of  them  had  made  a  decision 
to  follow  Christ.  Then  Mr.  Hudson 
suggested  that  if  they  desired  to  be 
efficient  workers  in  the  Baraca  work 
they  ought  to  be  Christian  young 
men. 

The  young  fellows  were  deeply  im- 
pressed v/ith  his  kindly  manner  and 
profound  earnestness.  The  appeal  of 
the  veteran  teacher,  who  has  learned 
from  long  experience  how  to  deal 
with  men,  was  effective.  Before  they 
parted  that  night  each  of  the  five 
bowed  with  Mr.  Hudson  in  prayer 
and  accepted  Jesus  Christ  as  a  per- 
sonal Saviour.  Mr.  Hudson  counted 
that  day  in  a  little  \illage  well  spent. 
The  passion  of  the  soul-winner  found 
expression  in  speaking  a  word  in  sea- 
son. The  opportunity  to  win  a  soul 
for  Christ  often  comes  to  the  man 
who  yearns  to  win  his  fellow-men 
for  his  Master. — William  J.  Hart, 
D.D. 

319.  Mercy,    God's    Plenteous. 

The  daughter  of  a  poor  widow  had 
left  her  mother's  cottage.  Led  astray 
by  others,  she  had  forsaken  the 
Guide  of  her  youth  and  forgotten 
the  covenant  of  her  God.  Fervent, 
believing  prayer  was  the  mother's 
only  resource,  nor  was  it  in  vain. 
Touched  by  a  sense  of  sin,  and  anx- 
ious to  regain  the  peace  she  had 
lost,  late  one  night  the  daughter  re- 
turned home.  It  was  midnight,  and 
she  was  surprised  to  find  the  door 
unlatched.  But  she  was  told  in«  the 
fullness  of  a  mother's  heart,  "Never, 
my  child,  by  night,  nor  by  day,  has 
that  door  been  fastened  since  you 
left.  I  believed  you  would  come 
back  some  day,  and  I  was  unwilling 
to  keep  you  waiting  for  a  single  mo- 
ment." 

"For  thou,  Lord,  art  good,  and 
ready  to  forgive,  and  plenteous  in 
mercy  unto  all  them  that  call  upon 
thee."  Christ  is  as  willing  to  receive 
you  as  this  poor  mother  was  to  re- 
ceive her  daughter. 

320.  Mercy,  Plea  for.  A  maiden 
plead  with  Napoleon  for  the  life  of 
her  father,  a  deserter,  condemned  to 
be  executed.  A  frown  gathered 
upon  Napoleon's  brow  as  he  an- 
swered :  "He  has  already  twice  de- 
serted  and    do   you    ask   his.   life?" 


82 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


"Sire,"  she  answered,  "I  do  not  ask 
for  justice  but  for  mercy." 

321.  Method  With  Children.  See 
Children.  Brother  Them.  Sister 
Them. 

322.  Minister  and  Evangelist.  A 
little  child  fell  from  the  path  into 
the  canal.  A  young  woman,  who 
alone  saw  the  child,  ran,  threw  her- 
self upon  the  wall,  and  grasped  the 
child's  arm.  She  had  not  sufficient 
strength  to  lift  him  to  the  walk. 
Her  utmost  energies  were  taxed  to 
keep  his  head  above  the  water.  For 
more  1'ian  'wenty  minutes  she  was  in 
this  position,  when  a  man  heard  her 
cry  and  raised  the  child  to  a  place 
of  safety.  Yet  the  village,  when  the 
incident  became  known,  applauded 
and  honored  the  girl  as  the  rescuer. 
Preacher,  if  you  first  succeed  in 
keeping  these  boys'  lives  above  the 
engulfing  current  of  sensuality  and 
vice  by  your  utmost  endeavors,  some 
pastor  or  evangelist  may  come  along 
and  lift  them  into  safety,  and  the 
community  may  call  them  his  con- 
verts, but  some  day  in  heaven  you 
shall  be  acknowledged  as  the  rescuer 
of  their  lives. — Forest  E.  Dager,  D.D. 

323.  Missionaries,  AIx  Christians. 
A  Bishop  asked  a  returned  mission- 
ary :  "How  many  missionaries  have 
you  now  en  your  stations?"  "Three 
thousand,"  wao  the  reply.  "I  did  not 
ask  you  how  many  converts,  but  how 
many  missionaries,"  said  the  bishop. 
"I  understand,  and  again  I  can  re- 
ply three  thousand,  for  all  our  con- 
verts are  missionaries."  In  an  im- 
portant sense,  the  missionary  was 
correct.  It  should  be  the  desire  and 
effort  of  the  already  won  to  win 
others   to   Christ. 

324.  Money  or  Christ?  A  very 
nice  young  man,  so  moral  and  kind 
in  his  life,  and  so  interested  and  sin- 
cere in  his  coming  that  Jesus  loved 
him,  wanted  to  know  what  he  should 
do  to  become  a  Christian.  Knowing 
the  one  thing  that  hindered  his  spirit- 
ual life,  which  was  the  love  of  money, 
Jesus  told  him  to  sell  all  that  he  had 
— he  was  a  very  rich  man — and  fol- 
low him.  To  this  bit  of  counsel, 
which  was  the  Saviour's  answer  to 
the  young  man's  question  as  to  how 
he  might  be  saved,  there  was  no  re- 
sponse.    The  young  man  went  away 


sad,  not  being  willing  to  make  the 
exchange  of  money  for  fellowship 
with  Jesus.  What  a  sad  mistake  was 
that.  Dear  friend,  if  you  are  look- 
ing for  the  way  of  life,  which  is 
Jesus  himself,  let  nothing  you  have 
or  desire  keep  the  door  of  your 
heart  barred  against  your  best  friend. 

325.  Mother,  Her  Changeless 
Love.    See  Cross,  The  Message  of. 

326.  Motive,  for  Christian  Life. 
See  Jesus,  Friendship  With. 

327.  Morality,  Not  Enough.    All 

religious  acts  are  certainly  good  acts, 
but  it  cannot  follow  that  all  good 
acts  are  religious  acts.  The  appear- 
ance of  a  deed  may  have  been  good 
and  yet  the  design — the  motive — 
may  have  been  evil.  To  illustrate, 
I  read  an  incident  the  other  day, 
which  is  as  follows  : 

"A  young  man  met  a  minister  of 
his  acquaintance  and  in  the  course 
of  their  conversation  he  told  the 
minister  that  he  was  not  a  very  bad 
young  man,  for,  said  he,  T  have  been 
doing  a  great  many  good  things.' 
Well,'  said  the  minister,  T  have  no 
disposition  to  dispute  that,  but  your 
good  acts  were  not  religious  acts — 
nor  is  it  any  evidence  that  you  are 
a  Christian.'  The  young  man  seemed 
surprised. 

"  'You  are  the  owner  of  a  horse, 
are  you  not?' 

"  'Yes.' 

"  'Does  he  not  do  many  good  acts?' 

"  'Yes.' 

" 'Is  your  horse  a  Christian?' 

"  'Well,'  he  replied,  'about  as  much 
of  a  one  as  I  am,  I  guess.' " 

The  .oung  man  saw  the  point,  and 
admitted  that  a  good  act  in  man  or 
beast  is  a  good  thing,  but  nothing 
more.  It  is  nature  and  not  grace, 
instinct  and  not  holiness.  A  good 
character  is  a  good  thing,  education 
is  a  good  thing,  money  is  a  good 
thing,  but  these  things,  good  as  they 
are,  will  not  carry  a  man  to  heaven, 
but  they  will  come  just  as  near  doing 
so  as  mere  morality  will. 

328.  Mystery  in  Salvation.  Some 
men  want  to  have  the  new  birth  and 
all  the  theological  mysteries  explained 
to  them.  Explain  electricity  to  me, 
or  sit  in  the  dark  till  you  understand 
it,  and  never  ride  in  an  electric  car 
till  you  can  understand  it.     Explain 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      83 


the  dewdrop;  tell  me  how  the  thun- 
der and  the  lightning  slumber  in  the 
dewdrop.  You  cannot  tell.  Analyze 
the  dewdrop.  You  cannot,  but  God 
fathers  it.  Tell  how  he  kisses  the 
little  bit  of  black  earth  in  your  gar- 
den, and  after  he  has  kissed  it  a 
bunch  of  primroses  bloom.  Tell  me 
how  he  did  it,  or  stop  your  quibbles 
about  this.  Here  is  an  easy  one. 
Tell  me  how  he  came  to  my  gipsy 
tent  where  there  was  not  a  Bible, 
before  I  could  spell  my  name,  before 
I  had  ever  heard  of  him.  That  is 
the  wonder.  Tell  me  how  he  got 
hold  of  my  father,  that  grand  old 
saint,  when  he  was  rough  and  raw, 
drunken,  swearing,  wild  and  lion- 
like. Tell  me  how  God  in  Christ 
got  hold  of  him  and  won  the  chil- 
dren and  saved  us  all,  and  made 
these  eyes,  these  inner  eyes  of  my 
life,  see  him  and  know  he  was  my 
Saviour.  Tell  me  how,  will  you?  I 
do  not  know  how,  but  I  know  he 
did  it,  and  that  is  enough  to  go  on 
with.  Never  mind  the  how  of  it. 
It  must  be — must  be. — Gipsy  Smith. 

329.  Needs,  Bible  Mirrors  Our. 
See  Bible,  a  Mirror. 

330.  Neglect.  Neglect,  plain, 
simple  neglect,  has  bred  more  havoc 
in  almost  more  ways  than  many 
other  causes  combined.  Neglect  of 
civility  at  a  proper  time  has  lost  a 
friend.  Neglect  of  a  simple  duty  at 
a  critical  moment  has  often  lost  an 
ambitious  young  man  a  position. 
Neglect  of  the  laws  of  health  has  lost 
a  life.  Neglect  of  a  free  salvation 
has  lost  a  soul.  It  matters  not 
whether  the  neglect  arises  from  heed- 
lessness, indifference,  carelessness, 
willfulness,  or  ignorance,  the  result, 
in  most  instances,  is  the  same.  The 
moral  of  it  all  is  that  we  have  no 
right  to  be  heedless,  or  indifferent,  or 
willful. 

331.  Neglect,  of  a  Soul.  I  will 
never  as  long  as  I  live  forget  a  scene 
that  I  witnessed  several  years  ago. 
I  left  the  tent  where  we  were  hold- 
ing meetings  down  in  Paris,  Illinois, 
one  night,  and  among  the  number 
who  left  last  was  a  young  man  to 
whom  I  was  especially  attracted  by 
his  fine  looks.  I  walked  down  the 
street  with  him,  and  put  to  him  the 
invariable  question,  "Are  you  a 
Christian?"    He  said,  "No,  sir,  I  am 


not."  Then  I  used  every  Scripture 
and  every  argument  to  get  him  to 
promise  me  to  give  his  heart  to  God, 
but  could  not  succeed.  When  about 
to  separate  I  said  to  him,  'Are  your 
father  and  mother  alive?"  "Both 
alive,"  said  he.  "Is  your  father  a 
Christian?"  "Don't  know;  has  been 
a  steward  in  the  church  several 
years."  "Is  your  mother  a  Chris- 
tian ?"  "Don't  know  ;  has  been  super- 
intendent of  the  Sunday  School  of 
the  same  church  for  some  time." 
"Have  you  a  sister?"  "Yes,  sir." 
"Is  she  a  Christian?"  "Don't  know; 
she  has  the  primary  department  in 
the  Sabbath  School."  "Do  your 
father  and  mother  ever  ask  the  bless- 
ing at  the  table?"  "No,  sir."  "Did 
your  father,  mother,  or  sister  ever 
ask  you  to  be  a  Christian?"  "Mr. 
Sunday,  as  long  as  I  can  remember, 
my  father  or  mother  or  sister  never 
said  a  word  to  me  about  my  soul. 
Do  you  believe  they  think  I  am  lost?" 
I  could  not  answer  such  arguments, 
and  I  can  hear  his  words  still  ringing 
in  my  ears,  "Do  you  believe  they 
think  I  am  lost?" — Rev.  W.  A.  Sun- 
day, D.D. 

332.     Neutrality,  Avoid  It.     The 

story  has  been  told  of  a  soldier  who 
was  missed  amid  the  bustle  of  a  bat- 
tle, and  no  one  knew  what  had  be- 
come of  him,  but  it  was  known  that 
he  was  not  in  the  ranks.  As  soon 
as  opportunity  offered,  his  officer 
went  in  search  of  him,  and,  to  his 
surprise,  found  that  the  man  during 
a  battle  had  been  amusing  himself 
in  a  flower  garden.  When  it  was 
demanded  what  he  did  there,  he  ex- 
cused himself  by  saying,  "Sir,  I  am 
doing  no  harm."  But  he  was  tried, 
convicted  and  shot.  What  a  sad  but 
true  picture  this  is  of  many  who 
waste  their  time  and  neglect  their 
duty,  and  who  can  give  no  better 
answer  than,  "Lord,  I  am  doing  no 
harm !" 

333'     Now,  Though   Young.     A 

young  girl  visiting  the  country  was 
following  the  farmer's  wife  along  a 
winding,  half  overgrown  path  amid 
a  winding  tangle  of  wild  flowers. 
The  young  visitor  exclaimed  at  their 
variety  and  beauty.  "I  mean  to 
gather  all  I  can  carry  when  we  come 
back  and  have  a  little  more  time," 
she  said.  "Better  pick  them  now,  if 
you    want    them,"    said    the    elder 


84 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


woman.  "It  isn't  likely  we'll  come 
back  this  way."  It  was  one  of  those 
simple,  homely  incidents  that  some- 
times seem  to  epitomize  life.  We 
must  pick  now  if  we  want  them  at 
all,  the  flowers  of  grace  and  salva- 
tion that  God  scatters  along  our  way. 

334.  Now,  Importance  of.  "To- 
day, if  ye  will  hear  his  voice,  harden 
not  your  hearts." — Ps.  95  :  7,  8.  It  is 
a  solemn  thing  to  say  to-morrow 
when  God  says  to-day,  for  man's  to- 
morrow and  God's  to-day  never  meet. 
The  word  that  comes  from  the  eter- 
nal throne  is  "NOW,"  and  it  is  man's 
own  choice  that  fixes  his  doom. — 
Duncan  Matheson. 

335.  Nurture  of  Young  Converts. 

See  Revival,  After  the. 

336.  Obedience  Brings  Blessing. 

God  wants  obedience.  Naaman  had 
to  learn  this  lesson.  There  was  no 
virtue,  probably,  in  going  down  to 
the  Jordan  any  more  than  in  obey- 
ing the  voice  of  God.  He  had  to 
obey  the  Word,  and  in  the  very  act 
of  obedience  he  was  blessed. 

Look  at  those  ten  New  Testament 
lepers  who  came  to  Christ.  He  said, 
"Go  show  yourselves  to  the  priests." 
"Well,"  they  might  have  said,  "what 
good  is  that  going  to  do  us?  Here 
we  are  all  full  of  leprosy,  and  if  we 
go  and  show  ourselves  to  the  priests, 
they  will  order  us  back  again  into 
exile.  That  is  not  going  to  help  us." 
But  those  ten  men  started  off  and 
did  just  what  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
told  them  to  do,  and  in  the  very  act 
of  doing  it  they  were  blessed,  their 
leprosy  left  them. 

He  said  to  that  man  who  had  the 
palsy,  whom  they  brought  unto  him 
on  a  bed :  "Take  up  thy  bed  and 
walk."  The  man  might  have  said : 
"Lord,  I  have  been  trying  for  years 
to  take  that  bed  up,  but  I  can't.  I 
haven't  got  the  power.  I  have  been 
shaking  with  the  palsy  for  the  last 
ten  years.  Do  you  think  that  if  I 
could  have  rolled  up  that  bed  that  I 
would  have  been  brought  here  and 
let  down  through  the  roof  ?  I  haven't 
the  power." 

But  when  the  Lord  commanded 
him  he  gave  the  power.  Power  came 
with  the  command,  and  that  man 
stood  up,  rolled  up  his  bed  and 
started  off  home.  He  was  blessed 
in  the  very  act  of  obedience.    If  you 


want  God  to  bless  you,  obey  him. 
Do  whatsoever  he  calls  upon  you  to 
do,  and  then  see  if  he  will  not  bless 
you. — The  Christian  Observer. 

337.  Obeying  Christ,  Saved  in 
the  Act  of.  A  young  lady  was 
deeply  concerned  about  her  spiritual 
welfare,  and  after  a  severe  struggle 
started  to  visit  her  pastor  to  ask 
him  to  show  her  the  way  of  life. 
As  she  entered  the  trolley-car,  in 
carrying  out  her  purpose,  she  saw 
seated  there  several  of  her  friends, 
who  asked  where  she  was  going.  The 
tempter  immediately  said  :  "Don't  tell 
them  where  you  are  going,  but  an- 
swer them  in  some  evasive  way."  At 
the  same  time  the  Spirit  whispered 
to  her,  "Be  brave  and  conscientious 
about  this.  Tell  them  of  your  pur- 
pose, and  ask  them  to  go  with  you." 
She  obeyed  the  voice  of  God.  Her 
friends  declined  to  accompany  her, 
and  she  went  on  alone.  When  she 
came  to  the  minister's  house  he  came 
to  the  door  to  meet  her.  She  paused 
from  embarrassment  for  an  instant, 
and  then  said:  "Doctor,  I  started  to 
come  to  see  you  to  ask  you  to  lead 
me  to  Christ;  but  now  that  I  am 
here  I  have  come  to  tell  you  I  have 
found  Christ."  It  was  with  her  as 
with  some  whom  Jesus  healed  during 
his  ministry  on  earth — "As  they  went 
they  were  cleansed." 

338.  Offer,  Accept  the  First.  A 
teacher  in  a  mission  school  in  Africa 
had  just  explained  the  parable  of  the 
king  who  invited  people  to  his  feast. 
One  of  the  large  boys  said  he  wanted 
to  follow  Jesus,  and  the  little  boy 
said  the  same.  "Have  you  felt  for 
some  time  that  Jesus  has  been  calling 
you?"  asked  the  teacher.  "Oh,  no; 
it  is  only  to-day ;  but  I  listened  right 
off  when  he  called,"  was  the  sincere 
answer. 

That  is  the  time  to  answer,  when 
you  hear  the  call.  Do  it  promptly. 
Do  it  at  once.  Accept  the  first  offer. 
— H. 

339.  Offer,    Accept    the    First. 

Not  long  since,  as  a  minister  was 
visiting  one  of  his  parishioners,  who 
was  a  man  of  business,  the  following 
conversation  substantially  occurred : 
"It  is  true,"  said  the  merchant,  "I 
am  not  satisfied  with  my  present  con- 
dition ;  I  am  not  'of  a  settled  mind 
in  religion,'  as  you  express  it.     Still 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      85 


I  am  not  utterly  hopeless ;  I  may 
yet  enter  the  vineyard,  even  at  the 
eleventh  hour."  "Ah !  Your  allu- 
sion is  to  the  Saviour's  parable  of  the 
loitering  laborers,  who  wrought  one 
hour  at  the  end  of  the  day.  But  you 
overlooked  the  fact  that  these  men 
accepted  the  first  offer."  "Is  that 
so?"  "Certainly;  they  said  to  the 
Lord  of  the  vineyard,  'No  man  hath 
hired  us.'  They  welcomed  the  first 
offer  immediately."  "True,  I  had 
not  thought  of  that  before.  But, 
then,  the  thief  on  the  cross,  even 
while  dying,  was  saved."  "Yes,  but 
it  is  likely  he  had  never  rejected  the 
offer  of  salvation  as  preached  by 
Christ  and  his  apostles.  Like  Barab- 
bas,  he  had  been  a  robber  by  pro- 
fession. In  the  resorts  to  which  he 
had  been  accustomed  the  gospel  had 
never  been  preached.  Is  there  not 
some  reason  to  believe  that  he,  too, 
accepted  the  first  offer?"  "Why,  you 
seem  desirous  to  quench  my  last  spark 
of  hope."  "Why  should  I  not? 
Such  hope  is  an  illusion !  You  have 
really  no  promise  of  acceptance  at 
some  future  time.  Now  is  the  ac- 
cepted time !  Begin  now !"  "How 
shall  I  begin?"  "Just  as  the  poor 
leper  did  when  he  met  Jesus  by  the 
way  and  committed  his  body  to  the 
Great  Physician  in  order  to  be  healed. 
So  commit  your  soul  to  him  as  a 
present  Saviour.  Then  serve  him 
from  love.  The  next,  even  the  most 
common  duty  of  life  that  you  have 
to  perform,  do  it  as  a  service  to  him. 
Will  you  accept  the  first  offer?  Your 
eyes  are  open  to  the  peril.  Beware 
of  delay — beware."  "You  are  right; 
may  God  help  me.  I  fear  I  have  been 
living  in  a  kind  of  dreamy  delusion 
on  this  subject." 

340.  Opportunity,  a  Lost.  A 
few  summers  ago  my  Adirondack 
driver,  Harvey,  died,  and  a  sad,  sad 
death  it  was  for  me.  The  old  fellow 
had  driven  me  many  a  mile  through 
that  glorious  country,  but  never  on 
any  of  those  drives  till  the  last  had 
I  attempted  to  talk  with  him  on  the 
subject  of  his  personal  salvation. 
That  afternoon  I  climbed  over  into 
the  seat  next  to  him  and  went  at  it 
in  earnest.  Harvey  grew  nervous 
and  began  to  whip  his  horses  as  a 
kind  of  relief,  saying  little  in  reply 
till  I  finally  extracted  from  him  a 
promise  to  come  and  hear  the  sermon 
I  had  promised  the  village  pastor  to 


preach  the  next  Sunday  evening  in 
the  little  mountain  church.  And  with 
that  the  drive  ended. 

The  very  next  morning  a  neighbor 
came  in  to  call  and  told  us,  in  the 
course  of  the  conversation,  that  Har- 
vey had  been  taken  ill  in  the  night 
and  had  been  pronounced  by  the  doc- 
tor in  a  critical  condition.  The  caller 
gone,  I  started  out  to  see  him,  but 
was  not  admitted.  "No  one  is  al- 
lowed to  see  him  to-day,"  they  said, 
and  I  went  back  home  with  a  bur- 
dened heart.  The  next  day  he  was 
worse  and,  of  course,  I  could  not 
see  him.  The  third  day  he  passed 
away.  The  following  evening  I 
preached  my  sermon  in  the  little 
church,  but  it  was  an  absent-minded 
sermon  to  which  the  people  listened. 
My  thoughts  ran  down  the  mountain 
road  to  the  humble  farm  house  where 
Harvey's  body  lay  cold  in  death. 
Monday  afternoon  we  held  his  fu- 
neral and  I  was  asked  to  take  some 
part  in  the  service.  I  felt  I  could 
not  pray,  nor  could  I  trust  myself 
to  speak,  and  without  giving  the  rea- 
son I  chose  as  my  part  the  reading 
of  the  Scriptures.  The  service  over, 
I  formed  in  line  with  the  others  out 
of  respect  for  the  deceased  and  filed 
past  his  coffin.  When  I  approached 
the  bier,  though,  I  shut  my  eyes  for 
very  shame,  fearing  to  look  even  the 
dead  man  in  the  face,  instead  of  the 
engraved  inscription  on  the  casket 
plate  _  which  would  otherwise  have 
been  in  sight,  I  read  another  inscrip- 
tion set  there  by  a  divine  hand,  A 
Lost  Opportunity ! 

Believe  me,  I  felt  then,  as  I  feel 
still,  that  it  was  far  more  of  a  lost 
opportunity  for  me  than  for  old 
Harvey. — Rev.  John  Balcom  Shaw, 
D.D. 

341.  Opportunity,  An  Undiscov- 
ered.    See  Strategy  Wins  a  Boy. 

342.  Opportunity,  for  Soul  Win- 
ning. A  young  girl  in  London 
spoke  kindly  to  a  little  boy  in  rags 
playing  in  the  gutter.  She  won  his 
confidence,  and  by  and  by  won  him 
for  Christ,  who  made  a  great  pioneer 
missionary  out  of  him.  Yet  most 
people  would  have  thought  that  girl's 
opportunity  when  she  spoke  to  the 
ragged  child  was  very  small,  and 
that  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury 
that  day  had  the  great  opportunity 
afforded  in  all  London.    He  does  not 


86 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


give  us  any  gauge  by  which  to  meas- 
ure opportunities. — Bishop  Haygood. 

343.  Opportunity,  Neglected. 
"Immediately."  Matt.  4 :  22.  There 
are  times  when  if  we  do  not  answer 
God's  call  immediately  the  opportun- 
ity is  gone  forever,  leaving  a  lifelong 
regret.  As  I  passed  through  a  pleas- 
ant street  God  told  me  to  give  his 
message  to  an  old  man  who  was  sit- 
ting on  a  lawn.  I  thought  I  might 
be  mistaken,  and  passed  on  to  take 
a  car,  but  found  I  had  no  money, 
so  returned  and  spoke  to  him.  Some 
ladies  who  were  on  a  veranda,  hidden 
by  vines,  began  to  talk  to  me,  and 
I  knew  they  would  hear  all  I  said. 
Alas !  I  had  been  told,  times  without 
number,  that  one  should  not  ask  a 
person  if  he  were  a  Christian,  or  in- 
vite him  to  come  to  Christ,  when 
others  were  present,  as  it  might  do 
more  harm  than  good.  I  sat  on  the 
steps  and  talked  with  the  ladies  about 
the  life  hid  with  Christ  in  God,  but 
the  old  man  went  away,  and  in  a 
few  hours  was  struck  by  an  express- 
train  and  was  killed  immediately.  I 
then  learned  he  was  not  a  Christian. 
— N.  C.  Alger. 

344.  Opportunity,  Now.  Dr. 
Matheson  once  said  that  it  is  a  sol- 
emn thing  to  say  "to-morrow"  when 
God  says  "to-day,"  because  man's  to- 
morrow and  God's  to-day  never  meet. 

345.  Opportunity,  Now.  In  a 
certain  church,  on  a  summer  Sunday, 
was  a  Bible-class  enrolling  sixty 
members.  The  next  Sunday  only 
eighteen  were  living.  Forty-two  had 
gone  into  eternity.  They  had  learned 
their  last  Bible  lesson,  and  improved 
or  neglected  their  last  opportunity 
for  salvation.  How  earnestly  would 
that  elder  have  taught,  how  earnestly 
would  that  class  have  listened  to  God's 
truth  had  they  known  that  it  was 
for  two  out  of  every  three  of  them 
the  last  time !  The  Bible-class  was  in 
Johnstown,  Pa.  "The  night  cometh" 
for  all. 

346.  Opportunity,  Now.  When 
the  great  bridge  in  St.  Louis  was 
nearly  completed,  it  was  found  that 
the  two  halves  of  the  structure 
would  not  quite  meet  in  the  center. 
An  engineer  was  sent  to  New  York 
to  consult  authorities  in  the  emer- 
gency. While  he  was  trying  to  as- 
certain where  the  error  lay,   he   re- 


ceived a  telegram  telling  him  that  the 
warmth  of  the  sun  had  expanded  the 
iron  so  that  the  two  ends  had  come 
together.  As  quickly  as  the  telegraph 
could  carry  the  message  he  sent  back 
word,  "Clamp  them  ;"  and  it  was  done. 
When  the  Holy  Spirit  works  in  the 
Church,  then  is  the  time  to  take 
advantage.  Now  is  the  time.  Now 
is  the  time  to  get  into  the  kingdom 
those  for  whom  you  have  been  work- 
ing so  long,  as  also  many  others  in 
the  community. 

347.  Parasitism.  "Very  well, 
then,"  you  say,  "if  I  have  gotten 
along  thus  far  by  receiving  the  in- 
direct influences  and  help  of  the 
Church  without  being  a  member  of 
it,  why  can't  I  get  along  just  as  well 
in  the  future  by  pursuing  the  same 
course?  The  reflected  light  of  the 
Church  is  good  enough   for  me." 

Professor  Henry  Drummond,  in 
his  brilliant  essay  on  "Parasitism," 
has  a  reply  for  you.  He  speaks  of 
a  little  bit  of  degenerate  animal, 
called  the  sacculina.  It  possesses 
neither  legs,  nor  eyes,  nor  mouth,  nor 
throat,  nor  any  other  organs,  external 
or  internal.  The  sacculina  is  a  typi- 
cal parasite.  "By  means  of  its  twin- 
ing and  theftuous  roots  it  imbibes 
automatically  its  nourishment  ready 
prepared  from  the  body  of  the  her- 
mit crab.  It  boards  indeed  entirely 
at  the  expense  of  his  host,  who  sup- 
plies it  liberally  with  food  and  shelter 
and   everything  else   it   wants." 

Be  not  a  parasite !  Do  not  drink 
nourishment  from  the  Church  and 
refuse  to  take  up  your  responsibili- 
ties as  a  member  thereof ! — John  Y. 
Ewart,   D.D. 

348.  Pardon,    and    New    Start. 

See   Sin,  Blotted  Out. 

349.  Pardon,    Peace    of.      See 

Pardon,  Through  Christ. 

350.  Pardon,  Power  of.  A  sol- 
dier who  had  ofte.i  been  punished 
for  disobedience  was  about  to  be 
brought  again  before  the  command- 
ing officer  for  discipline.  The  officer 
said,  "What  shall  we  do  with  him? 
Every  ordeal  has  been  tried." 

"There  is  one  thing,"  said  the  ser- 
geant major,  "which  has  never  yet 
been    done." 

"What  is  that?" 

"He  has  never  yet  been  forgiven." 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      87 


The  colonel  called  for  the  offender, 
and  asked  what  he  had  to  say  for 
himself. 

"Nothing,   only  that   I   am   sorry." 

After  some  suitable  remarks,  the 
colonel  said,  "Well,  we  have  resolved 
to  forgive  you."  The  soldier  was  as- 
tonished, and,  weeping,  thanked  the 
officer  for  his  kindness.  Never  after 
that  was  any  charge  brought  against 
him. 

This  story  should  teach  us  that  we 
can  often,  by  love,  win  back  those 
who  have  strayed  far  from  the  right 
path.  It  should  also  remind  us  of 
the  love  of  God,  who  for  Christ's 
sake  will  freely  pardon  all  who  are 
sorry   for  their  sins. 

As  the  sergeant  pleaded  for  the 
soldier,  so  has  Christ  pleaded  for  us. 
He  has  done  more  than  one  man 
could  do  for  another — he  has  died 
to  secure  our  pardon. 

351.  Pardon,    Through    Christ. 

In  the  reign  of  Charles  I  a  prisoner 
was  brought  to  trial  and  the  jury 
found  him  "Guilty."  Throughout 
the  proceedings  the  condemned  man 
remained  calm  and  unconcerned,  and 
even  when  the  sentence  was  passed 
he  said  nothing.  Then,  producing  a 
paper  from  his  pocket,  he  handed  it 
to  the  judge.  It  was  the  King's  full 
pardon  which  a  messenger  had 
brought  in  time  to  set  him  free. 
With  that  in  his  pocket  he  feared 
nothing.  So  in  our  day  of  judg- 
ment, if  we  have  Christ's  free  par- 
don for  sin  we  shall  not  be  afraid 
of  anything. 

352.  Partners,  Silent.  See  Con- 
fess Christ. 

353.  Peace   Pact,   The.     One    of 

the  incidents  of  war  recorded  in  the 
papers  was  the  mutual  helpfulness 
of  two  wounded  soldiers,  one  a  Ger- 
man and  one  a  Frenchman,  who  as 
they  lay  near  each  other  cheered  each 
other  with  the  words,  as  one  gave 
the  other  drink  to  cool  his  fever  and 
they  clasped  hands,  "There  will  be  no 
war  on  the  other  side !" 

There  will  be  no  war  on  the  other 
side.  There  will  be  no  war  among 
men,  and  no  war  in  the  individual 
soul  of  man  when  we  truly  accept 
Christ,  who  is  the  Prince  of  Peace. 
*-H. 

354.  Pearls,  Not  Bread.  An 
Arab  once  lost  his  way  in  the  desert. 


His  provisions  were  soon  exhausted. 
For  two  days  and  two  nights  he  had 
not  a  morsel  to  eat.  He  began  to 
fear  that  he  should  die  of  hunger. 
He  looked  eagerly,  but  in  vain,  along 
the  level  sand  for  some  caravan  of 
travelers  from  whom  he  might  beg 
some  bread.  At  last  he  came  to  a 
place  where  there  was  a  little  water 
in  a  well,  and  around  the  well  the 
marks  of  an  encampment.  Some 
people  had  lately  pitched  their  tents 
there,  and  gathered  them  up  and 
gone  away  again.  The  starving  Arab 
looked  around  in  the  hope  of  finding 
some  food  that  the  travelers  might 
have  left  behind.  After  searching  a 
while  he  came  upon  a  little  bag  tied 
at  the  mouth,  and  full  of  something 
that  felt  hard  and  round.  He  opened 
the  bag  with  great  joy,  thinking  it 
contained  either  dates  or  nuts,  and 
expecting  that  with  them  he  should 
be  able  to  satisfy  his  hunger.  But 
as  soon  as  he  saw  what  the  sack 
contained  he  threw  it  on  the  ground 
in  bitter  disappointment,  and  cried 
out  in  despair,  "It  is  only  pearls," 
falling  down  on  the  desert  to  die. 

In  the  great  crisis  of  life  this 
world's  most  prized  things  are  only 
mockeries.  If  we  cannot  have  bread, 
the  bread  of  life,  we  shall  perish. — 
Rev.  J.  R.  Miller,  D.D. 

355.  Pearl,  of  Great  Price.     U. 

Bor.  Sing,  heir  of  the  rajah  of 
Cherry,  India,  was  converted  by  the 
Welsh  missionaries.  He  was  warned 
that  in  joining  the  Christians  he 
would  forfeit  his  right  to  the  throne 
of  Cherry  after  the  then  ruling 
prince.  After  the  death  of  Rham 
Sing,  the  chiefs  of  the  tribes  met 
and  unanimously  decided  that  Bor. 
Sing  was  entitled  to  succeed  him,  but 
that  his  Christian  profession  stood  in 
the  way.  Messenger  after  messen- 
ger was  sent,  urging  him  to  recant, 
and  they  would  all  acknowledge  him 
as  king.  His  answer  was :  "Put 
aside  my  Christian  profession?  I 
can  put  aside  my  head-dress  or  my 
cloak,  but  as  for  the  covenant  I  have 
made  with  my  God,  I  cannot  for  any 
consideration  put  that  aside."  Since 
then  he  has  been  impoverished  by 
litigations,  but  is  of  course  a  Chris- 
tian still. 

356.  Penitence,  Cry  of.  "God 
be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner."  Luke 
18 :  13.     Two  men  went  up  into  the 


88 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


temple  to  pray;  the  Pharisee  was 
proud ;  the  publican  humble.  One 
trusted  in  himself ;  the  other  in  God. 
One  despised  his  fallen  fellow  men ; 
the  other  felt  he  was  the  chief  of 
sinners.  One  thanked  God  he  was 
not  an  extortioner,  and  adulterer,  a 
poor,  wretched  sinner  like  this  publi- 
can ;  while  the  other  cried  out  the 
shortest  but  most  comprehensive 
prayer  ever  uttered :  "God  be  merci- 
ful to  me  a  sinner."  Only  one  re- 
turned to  his  home  from  the  house 
of  God  justified,  "for  every  one  that 
exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased,  and 
he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be 
exalted." 

He  who  is  satisfied  with  himself, 
ever  repeating  the  egotistical  "I,"  has 
only  himself  for  his  blessing.  But 
the  soul,  in  the  depths  of  its  sinful- 
ness, with  its  knees  in  the  dust  of 
penitence,  who  hungers  and  thirsts 
for  the  living  God,  shall  be  filled  and 
satisfied  with  the  fullness  of  heavenly 
loving-kindness. 

Jesus  delighted  to  be  styled  an  as- 
sociate with  publicans  and  sinners, 
for  he  came  not  to  save  the  righteous 
but  to  bring  sinners  to  repentance. 
How  much  better  it  is  to  own  that 
we  are  a  race  of  prodigals,  living 
on  husks  and  hogs,  self  and  sin,  in 
the  far  country,  but  now  are  coming 
home,  crying  out,  "Be  merciful ; 
wash  me ;  cleanse  me ;  renew  a  right 
spirit  within  me  and  cast  me  not 
away  from  thy  presence,  that  I  may 
dwell  in  the  Father's  house  forever." 
— E.  W.  C. 

357.  Penitent,   His  First  Effort. 

In  every  building  the  first  stone  must 
be  laid  and  the  first  blow  must  be 
struck.  The  ark  was  120  years  in 
building;  yet  there  was  a  day  when 
Noah  laid  his  axe  at  the  first  tree 
he  cut  down  to  form  it.  The  temple 
of  Solomon  was  a  glorious  building; 
but  there  was  a  day  when  the  first 
huge  stone  was  laid  at  the  foot  of 
Mount  Moriah.  When  does  the 
building  of  the  Spirit  really  begin 
to  appear  in  a  man's  heart?  It  be- 
gins, so  far  as  we  can  judge,  when 
he  first  pours  out  his  heart  to  God 
in  prayer. — R. 

358.  Persistence,  in  Christian 
Work.    See  Work,  Rewarded. 

359.  Persistence,  Saving.  Rev. 
Dr.  J.  H.  Jowett  tells  the  following: 


"One  of  the  workers  of  our  new 
Digbeth  Institute,  Birmingham,  works 
all  day  to  earn  twenty-five  shillings 
a  week,  and  finds  refreshment  and 
recreation  at  night  in  getting  into 
the  gap  between  sinners  and  God. 
He  had  his  eye  on  a  man  that  was 
a  perfect  beast, — devil-ridden,  lust- 
ridden,  battered,  bruised,  altogether 
in  bondage.  Night  after  night  he 
went  to  this  man's  slum  house,  and 
tried  to  keep  him  from  the  public 
house.  The  other  night  my  work- 
ing-man's brother  came  to  my  vestry, 
and  said,  'Mr.  Jowett,  the  eightieth 
time  did  it.'  Eighty  nights,  seventy- 
nine  failures ;  the  eightieth  time  he 
got  the  man  to  the  Institute.  By 
the  mercy  of  man  he  led  him  to  the 
mercy  of  God,  and  to-night  while  I 
speak  he  is  at  home  in  Christ." 

360.  Perseverance,  How?  See 
Kept,   by  the   Power  of   God. 

361.  Personal  Work.  The  mes- 
sage must  have  a  messenger.  A 
hotel  was  burning.  It  was  a  five- 
story  wooden  structure.  It  was  sup- 
posed that  the  guests  were  fully  res- 
cued. The  lower  stories  were  already 
wrapped  in  flames.  The  firemen 
stood  back,  when  lo !  at  a  fifth-story 
window  there  appeared  the  white 
face  of  an  invalid  woman,  who  had 
been  forgotten.  Up  went  the  long- 
est ladder.  It  was  five  feet  too  short. 
Quick  as  a  flash  a  broad-shouldered 
fireman  stepped  beneath  the  window, 
straightened  up,  and  said,  "Rest  the 
ladder  on  my  shoulders." 

They  did  so.  One  held  it  while 
another  went  up,  smashed  the  win- 
dow, and  took  the  woman  in  his 
arms ;  and  in  a  moment  she  was 
safe. 

The  ladder  was  long  enough  to  do 
the  business  when  it  was  pieced  out 
by  the  length  of  a  man.  So  is  the 
gospel.  But  who?  Why,  any  one 
that  knows  by  experience  Christ's 
saving    power. 

362.  Personal  Work.  See,  Busi- 
ness, a  Christian's. 

363.  Personal  Work.  Carrying 
Them  to  Christ.  Rev.  M.  T.  Lamb 
says  that  out  of  nearly  forty  specific 
cases  of  healing  recorded  in  the  four 
Gospels,  only  six  came  for  them- 
selves. About  twenty  cases  were 
brought    to    Christ   by    others,    and 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      89 


were  healed,  not  primarily  because 
of  their  own  faith  or  their  own  ask- 
ing, but  because  of  the  faith  and 
the  asking  of  the  persons  who 
brought  them.  These  twenty  were 
hard  cases — persons  who  could  not 
or  would  not  come  for  themselves. 
Is  not  Jesus  Christ  the  same  yes- 
terday, to-day  and  forever?  And  if 
he  never  turned  one  away  who  came 
on  behalf  of  a  friend  or  a  neighbor 
who  was  sick,  or  crippled,  or  pal- 
sied, or  possessed  with  demons,  or 
dead,  so  he  will  not,  cannot,  turn 
you  away  if  you  with  the  same  con- 
fidence and  faith  come  to  him  in  be- 
half of  one  whose  soul  is  palsied, 
or  possessed  with  demons,  or  spirit- 
ually dead. 

364.  Personal  Work.  Case  of 
Neglect.  A  noted  evangelist  was 
once  holding  a  series  of  services  in 
a  church  whose  minister  was  a  man 
of  long  experience  and  of  great  abil- 
ity and  of  great  influence.  One  night 
as  they  sat  on  the  platform  together, 
the  minister  pointed  out  to  the  evan- 
gelist a  man  in  the  audience.  "For 
twelve  years,"  he  said,  "I  have  tried 
to  win  that  man  to  Christ.  I  have 
preached  to  him  so  long  that  I  some- 
times find  myself  doing  it  almost  un- 
consciously." "From  the  pulpit?" 
asked  the  evangelist.  "From  the  pul- 
pit, yes."  "How  many  times  have 
you  gone  to  him  with  the  love  of 
God  in  your  heart  and  said :  'I  want 
to  see  you  become  a  child  of  God'? 
"I  must  confess,"  said  the  minister, 
"that  I  have  never  spoken  to  him 
personally  and  directly  concerning  his 
salvation."  "Then,"  said  the  evan- 
gelist, "perhaps  he  is  not  impregna- 
ble after  all."  That  nis;ht  the  evan- 
gelist, after  the  service,  caught  the 
man  before  he  got  to  the  door.  And 
the  next  evening  in  the  "after  serv- 
ice," in  which  so  many  souls  have 
found  lasting  peace  and  eternal  life, 
the  man  was  on  his  knees  with  the 
tears  streaming  down  his  cheeks.  It 
was  the  personal  touch  that  did  it. 
— William   Thomson  McElroy. 

365.  Personal  Work,  by  a  Ste- 
nographer. See  Stenographer  Do- 
ing  Personal   Work. 

366.  Personal  Work,  of  a  Trav- 
eling Man.  In  my  traveling  I  have 
frequent  opportunity  to  do  personal 
work  with  those  with  whom  I  come 


in  touch.  The  good  Lord  has  blessed 
the  efforts  in  that  direction.  I  am  a 
Gideon.  Only  lately  I  asked  a  driver 
who  took  me  from  store  to  store  if 
he  was  getting  any  satisfaction  out 
of  the  life  he  was  leading.  He  an- 
swered "No."  Before  we  went  to 
lunch  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
him  a  saved  man.  Our  Lord  is  al- 
ways willing. — From  a  recent  letter. 

367.  Personal  Work,  Touch  of 
Hand.     See  Hand,  Touch  of. 

368.  Personal  Work  Band. 
Many  churches  have  made  a  con- 
stituency roll,  including  the  name  of 
every  person  in  the  community  for 
which  the  church  is  personally  re- 
sponsible. They  have  used  their 
group  organization  to  gather  this  in- 
formation. 

They  have  organized  their  personal 
work  band,  including  in  it  all  the 
leaders  of  their  groups,  the  teachers 
of  Sunday-school  classes,  the  officers 
of  the  young  people's  society,  and 
as  many  of  their  men  as  could  be 
enrolled.  They  have  given  these  thor- 
ough training,  and  have  assigned 
them  the  names  of  the1  constituency 
roll,  taking  account  of  natural  affili- 
ations. 

369.  Pledged,  for  Life.  When 
Lincoln  reprieved  William  Scott,  con- 
demned to  be  shot  for  sleeping  at  his 
post,  he  said  tc  him :  "I  am  going  to 
trust  you,  and  send  you  back  to  your 
regiment.  My  bill  for  this  is  a  very 
large  one.  I  have  left  my  work,  and 
have  come  up  here  from  Washing- 
ton on  your  account.  There  is  only 
one  man  in  the  world  who  can  pay 
the  bill,  and  his  name  is  William 
Scott.  If  from  this  day  William 
Scott  does  his  duty  so  that  if  I  were 
there  when  he  comes  to  die,  he  could 
look  me  in  the  face  as  he  does  now, 
and  say,  T  have  kept  my  promise,  and 
have  done  my  duty  as  a  soldier,'  then 
the  debt  will  be  paid.  Will  you  make 
that  promise,  and  try  to  keep  it?" 

The  promise  was  made  and  kept. 
The  soldier  lived  a  life  of  courageous 
helpfulness,  and  died  while  rescuing 
wounded  men.  Every  pardoned  sin- 
ner is  pledged  to  the  Master  for  life. 
— Christian  Endeavor  World. 

370.  Pocket  Testament  League, 
Origin  of.  See  Witnessing,  for 
Christ 


go 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


371.  Possessions,  a  Christian's. 
Are  you  a  rich  pauper?  Poverty 
may  be  caused  not  by  lack  of  pos- 
sessions, but  by  failure  to  use  what 
we  possess.  A  dispatch  from  Seattle 
tells  of  the  death  of  an  old  ragpicker 
who  was  found  in  the  street  by  a 
policeman,  weak  from  illness.  It 
now  appears,  from  the  probating  of 
his  will,  that  instead  of  being  a  pen- 
niless old  man  he  possessed  $15,000 
in  cash  and  property  valued  at  $30,- 
000.  A  sister  is  named  in  his  will  as 
the  principal  beneficiary.  He  lived 
and  died  as  a.  pauperized  ragpicker, 
while  all  the  time  possessing  enough 
to  have  kept  him  comfortable  and 
well.  There  are  Christians  who  are 
doing  the  same  thing.  Their  spiritual 
life  is  poverty-stricken,  weak,  and  de- 
feated, and  they  are  likely  to  continue 
to  live  and  finally  to  die  as  practical 
paupers  in  the  Christian  life.  Yet 
all  the  while  they  possess,  not  $45,- 
000,  but  infinitely  more  in  the  "un- 
searchable riches"  of  Christ.  "All 
things"  are  theirs :  God  has  given 
them  his  entire  property  in  the  "un- 
speakable gift"  of  his  Son,  and  has 
blessed  them  with  every  spiritual 
blessing  in  the  heavenlies. — Sunday- 
School  Times. 

372.  Power,  Given.  A  Korean 
was  once  asked,  "Can  you  do  it?" 
with  reference  to  some  church  work. 
"We  ask  questions  such  as  'Can  you 
do  it?'  about  men's  work,  but  not 
about  God's  work,"  was  the  quiet 
reply  of  the  man. 

373.  Power,  Men  Transmit  Im- 
perfectly. An  inventor  was  talking 
about  electric  conduits.  "Do  you 
know  that  great  power  house  of  the 
traction  company  on  the  avenue? 
Well,  the  manager  will  tell  you  that 
forty  per  cent  of  the  electricity  gen- 
erated there  is  lost  because  of  im- 
perfect conduits.  Think  of  that  for 
prodigious  waste!  Almost  half  of 
the  product  of  that  great  plant  counts 
for  nothing." 

Well  might  the  inventor  wax  em- 
phatic over  this  excessive  waste  of 
energy.  But  while  he  was  talking 
our  mind  turned  to  a  similar  waste 
of  greater  power,  and  for  the  same 
reason.  God  designs  to  transmit  his 
power  through  men.  Only  as  they 
yield  themselves  to  him  in  con- 
version, confession,  and  full  sur- 
render can  they  become  efficient  me- 


diums for  transmitting  his  power  to 
others. 

374.  Power  Within   Needed.     I 

have  seen  a  little  tugboat  pull  the 
great  sea-going  vessels  about  the 
harbor  of  New  York,  but  when  these 
vessels  were  out  on  the  sea  they 
needed  something  more  than  the  pull 
of  the  tugboat;  they  must  have  the 
throb  of  power  within  themselves. 
And  so  we  may  be  drawn  about  by 
outside  influences — the  preaching  of 
a  sermon,  the  singing  of  a  hymn ; 
but  what  is  needed  for  every  child 
of  God,  if  he  would  brave  the  storm 
and  safely  reach  the  harbor,  is  that 
he  himself  have  God's  power  within 
him. 

375.  Prayer,  and  Soul  Winning 
Successful  soul-winning  has  two 
component  parts — going  to  God  for 
sinners  and  going  to  sinners  for  God. 
It  is  thus  that  we  are  workers  to- 
gether with  God.  Prayerless  methods 
account  for  most  of  the  failures  in 
Christian  work. — Rev.  J.  W.  Kemp, 
D.D. 

376.  Prayer,  Habit  of.  Two 
men  went  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  direc- 
tor in  one  of  the  camps  and  said 
that  they  were  in  the  habit  of  kneel- 
ing down  and  saying  their  prayers 
at  home.  What  ought  they  to»  do 
here?  "Try  it  out,"  was  the  advice. 
They  did ;  the  second  night  two 
others  in  the  barracks  joined  them; 
the  third  night  a  few  more ;  gradu- 
ally the  number  increased  until  con- 
siderably more  than  half  the  men 
resumed  the  habit  of  childhood  and 
knelt  by  their  cots  in  prayer  before 
turning  in.  A  company  captain  in 
one  of  the  cantonments  the  first  eve- 
ning his  men  stood  at  attention  for 
retreat  said :  "Men,  this  is  a  serious 
business  we  are  engaged  in ;  it  is  fit- 
ting that  we  should  pray  about  it." 
There  and  then  this  Plattsburgh  re- 
serve officer  made  a  simple  and  ear- 
nest prayer  for  the  divine  blessing 
upon  their  lives  and  their  work.  The 
impression  upon  the  men  was  de- 
scribed as  tremendous. 

377.  Prayer,  in  Christian  Work. 

A  marble  cutter,  with  chisel  and 
hammer,  was  changing  a  stone  into 
a  statue.  A  preacher  looking  on  said : 
"I  wish  I  could  deal  such  clanging 
blows  on  stony  hearts."    The  work- 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      91 


man  made  answer,  "Maybe  you  could, 
if  you  worked  like  me,  upon  your 
knees." 

378.  Prayer,     Its     Importance. 

The  old  adage  used  to  run,  "To  la- 
bor is  to  pray."  I  prefer  to  turn 
it  around  and  have  it  read,  "To  pray 
is  to  labor."  We  can  all  pray  peo- 
ple into  the  Kingdom  when  every 
other  means  or  agency  has  utterly 
failed.  If  I  could  have  fifty  people 
in  my  church  who  would  promise  to 
work  unremittingly  for  souls,  and 
five  who  would  covenant  to  pray 
without  ceasing  for  souls,  I  would 
unhesitatingly  choose  the  latter. — 
Rev.  John  Balcom  Shaw,  D.D. 

379.  Prayer,  Unrecognized  An- 
swers to.  Sometimes  the  Lord's 
answer  has  ready  come,  but  we  have 
not  prayed  for  eyes  to  see  it.  It  has 
not  come  quite  in  the  dress  we  ex- 
pected, and  therefore  we  did  not  know 
it.  A  friend  was  appointed  to  meet 
me  at  a  railway  station.  He  looked 
for  a  man  in  clerical  attire,  and  we 
wandered  about,  little  knowing  that 
we  were  brushing  shoulders  with 
each  other  all  the  time.  He  thought 
I  had  not  arrived,  but  I  was  there  in 
another  dress.  And,  therefore,  it  is 
well  to  look  at  our  ordinary  circum- 
stances when  they  do  not  come  to  us 
in  familiar  and  expected  guise. — Dr. 

J.  H.  JOWETT. 

380.  Prayers,  Family.  A  short 
time  ago  I  was  attending  a  service 
in  one  of  our  New  York  City  Res- 
cue Missions  and  was  greatly  im- 
pressed with  the  open  and  honest 
testimonies  of  the  men  who  bore 
witness  to  the  saving  grace  of  Christ. 
One  man,  a  Scotchman,  particularly 
arrested  my  attention.  It  might  be 
said  he  had  gone  astray  from  his 
birth.  Coming  to  the  United  States 
when  quite  young,  he  soon  found  the 
easy  path  which  led  to  the  gates  of 
death.  There  is  no  sin  in  which  he 
did  not  speedily  become  expert,  and 
he  rapidly  graduated  in  the  school 
of  iniquity.  His  wild  life  became 
too  much  for  his  physical  frame  and 
he  was  abandoned  as  one  dead. 
Given  up  by  physicians  and  friends, 
and  reduced  to  the  last  extremity, 
the  Lord  met  and  saved  him.  If 
ever  a  regenerated  soul  moved  in  this 
earth  he  is  one,  and  he  attributes  the 
change  to  what?     During  all  those 


reckless  years  of  evil,  the  memory  of 
the  family  prayers  in  his  Highland 
home  never  forsook  him,  and  at  last 
those  prayers  prevailed.  A  boy  sur- 
rounded by  prayer  may  wander  away, 
but  not  forever. — Rev.  Joseph  W. 
Kemp. 

381.  Prayers,  Seemingly  Unan- 
swered,   but     Answered.       In     his 

"confessions,"  St.  Augustine  pictures 
his  mother,  Monica,  praying  all  one 
night,  in  a  seaside  chapel  on  the 
North  African  coast,  that  God  would 
not  let  her  son  sail  for  Italy.  She 
wanted  Augustine  to  be  a  Christian. 
She  could  not  endure  losing  him  from 
her  influence.  If  under  her  care  he 
still  was  far  from  being  Christ's, 
what  would  he  be  in  Italy,  home  of 
licentiousness  and  splendor,  of  mani- 
fold and  alluring  temptations?  And 
even  while  she  prayed  there  passion- 
ately for  her  son's  retention  at  home, 
he  sailed,  by  the  grace  of  God,  for 
Italy,  where,  persuaded  by  Ambrose, 
he  became  a  Christian  in  the  very 
place  from  which  his  mother's  prayers 
would  have  kept  him.  Some  of  our 
boys  who  went  "over  there"  in  the 
great  war  whose  mothers  prayed  that 
they  might  not  go  were  saved  over 
there.— H. 

382.  Preaching,  by  a  Converted 
Prize  Fighter.  Jack  Cardiff,  Billy 
Sunday's  big  body-guard  and  ath- 
letic trainer,  spoke  to  hundreds  of 
men  at  noon  meetings  in  department 
stores  and  manufacturing  plants  in 
the  Philadelphia  campaign  and  told 
them  the  wonderful  story  of  how 
he  gave  up  prize-fighting  and  vaude- 
ville work  to  join  Billy  Sunday's 
party.  He  was  converted  in  Canton, 
Ohio.  He  knows  all  about  the  the- 
ater and  the  ring,  and  his  rough, 
straightforward  message  reaches  the 
hearts  of  men.  At  one  of  the  big 
department  stores  he  had  closed  his 
appeal  to  the  men  this  way :  "My 
throat  is  getting  tired,  boys  (I've  got 
many  a  crack  on  it  in  my  day),  so 
we'll  pray."  It  was  a  short,  crude, 
earnest  prayer.  "Bless  every  one 
here,  O  God,  and  bless  Mr.  Sunday 
and  me  and  my  throat,"  he  con- 
cluded. Then  he  stood  erect.  "Lis- 
ten to  me,  boys,"  he  called,  "let  me 
tell  you  something.  Help  me  and 
Sunday  by  standing  up  for  Christ. 
Raise  your  hand  if  you  will." 

Almost     every     hand     went     up. 


92 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


"Amen,"  said  Cardiff  fervently. 
They  crowded  about  him,  many  with 
tears  in  their  eyes,  and  shook  his 
hand.  "You  knocked  out  a  good 
many  to-day,  Mr.  Cardiff,"  one  man 
said  as  he  passed. 

383.  Procrastination.  So  invet- 
erate has  the  habit  of  procrastina- 
tion become  among  men  that  the 
phrase  "by  and  by,"  which,  in  the 
time  of  the  early  English  translators 
of  the  Bible,  meant  "immediately," 
now  means  the  very  opposite. — 
Trench. 

384.  Procrastination.  Many  ages 
ago  a  Greek  nobleman  made  a  feast 
for  his  friends.  In  the  midst  of  his 
mirth  a  messenger  entered  in  great 
haste  with  a  letter.  It  was  from  a 
distance,  to  tell  him  that  a  plot  had 
been  formed  by  his  enemies  to  kill 
him  that  night.  "My  lord,"  said  the 
messenger,  "my  master  desired  me 
to  say  that  you  must  read  the  letter 
without  delay,  for  it  is  about  serious 
things."  "Serious  things  to-morrow," 
said  the  nobleman,  as  he  threw  the 
letter  aside,  and  took  up  his  cup  of 
wine.  The  delay  was  fatal.  Before 
the  feast  was  at  an  end,  his  enemies 
rushed  into  the  hall   and   slew  him. 

385.  Procrastination,  Defeat  by. 
One  of  the  most  remarkable  contri- 
butions of  the  tropics  to  the  temper- 
ate zone  is  the  banana.  A  few  years 
ago  it  was  a  rare  fruit ;  now  it  is  as 
common  as  apples  if  not  as  cheap. 
But  there  is  something  else  that 
thrives  too  well  in  the  tropics  that 
we  must  be  careful  not  to  import. 
It  takes  but  a  change  of  one  letter 
to  make  this  word — manana. 

When  some  one  asked  the  late 
Emperor  of  Brazil  how  he  explained 
the  backwardness  of  his  country,  he 
said  it  was  due  to  "manana."  What 
does  it  mean?  "To-morrow."  Find 
a  person  or  a  people  ever  saying 
"manana ;  there  is  no  hurry ;  let  it 
wait :  there  is  plenty  of  time,"  and 
you  have  found  degeneracy  and  de- 
cay and  death.  There  is  no  such 
day  as  to-morrow.  It  is  a  will-o'- 
the-wisp,  an  ignis  fatuus,  a  quick- 
sand, a  mirage,  a  fool's  paradise. 
To-morrow  does  not  exist.  If  it 
comes,  it  will  be  a  to-day.  Learn 
then  to  pray  and  plan,  to  speak  and 
do  to-day.  No  good  thing  was  ever 
accomplished    to-morrow.      This    is 


why  every  day  is  a  dooms-day,  for 
to-day  holds  life  and  death,  character 
and  destiny  in  its  living  hands.  Yes- 
terday is  buried,  to-morrow  is  un- 
born, therefore,  "behold,  now  is  the 
accepted  time ;  behold,  now  is  the 
day  of   salvation." 

386.  Procrastination,  Folly  of. 
See  Delay,  Danger  of. 

387.  Procrastination,  It  Weakens 
the  Will.  I  was  called  to  a  home 
where  I  found  the  only  son  danger- 
ously ill.  By  direction  of  the  family 
physician,  I  informed  him  of  his  dan- 
ger and  endeavored  to  present  to  him 
the  necessity  of  accepting  Christ. 
But  he  put  me  off,  saying,  "There's 
plenty  of  time,  there's  plenty  of 
time."  Early  the  next  morning  I  was 
summoned  to  his  home  by  the  grief- 
stricken  father,  saying  his  boy  was 
dying.  We  hastened  to  the  bedside 
of  the  dying  boy.  Leaning  over  him, 
I  called  him  by  name,  but  there  was 
no  response.  I  called  the  word 
"Father"  into  his  ear,  then  the  word 
"Mother"  and  then  the  word  "Sis- 
ter," and  then  the  name  of  Christ. 
But  there  was  no  response.  Turning 
to  his  broken-hearted  father,  I  said, 
"You  call."  And,  oh,  how  earnestly 
and  persistently  he  called,  "My  son ; 
oh,  my  son."  There  was  no  response. 
Then  I  turned  to  his  mother,  and  out 
of  her  broken  heart  she  called,  "My 
boy."  Still  no  response.  Here  was 
father  love  and  mother  love — to  the 
very  last  calling — but  without  re- 
sponse. The  willingness  to  call  was 
just  as  strong  as  ever,  but  the  power 
to  respond  had  failed.  The  willing- 
ness of  God  to  call  can  never  be 
questioned,  but  our  power  to  hear 
and  heed  that  call  is  lessened  every 
time  we  fail  to  obey  it. — Rev.  John 
McDowell. 

388.  Promises,  Belief  in  Saves. 

As  a  friend  from  a  ship  would  throw 
ropes  to  a  drowning  man,  so  Christ 
stands  throwing  promises  within  your 
reach.  Lay  hold  of  any  one,  and 
hold  on.  Not  one  strand,  or  jot,  or 
tittle  will  fail.  Look  for  no  signs, 
nor  wonders,  nor  strange  sights,  nor 
sounds,  nor  marvelous  feelings. 
Change  of  feeling,  or  emotion,  or  joy, 
or  happiness,  is  not  of  itself  religion, 
but  incidental  to  religion,  caused  by 
this  new  life  begun  at  the  cross. 
Leave  everything  and  follow  him. 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      93 


He  is  now  waiting  and  calling  to 
you ;  and  angels  are  listening  to  hear 
you  say  that  decisive  word,  on  which 
hangs  your  eternal  destiny — "I  will; 
by  the  grace  of  God  assisting  me,  I 
will."  Give  up  every  known  sin,  and 
do  every  known  duty  you  come  to. 

389.  Promises,  of  God.  When 
William,  Prince  of  Orange,  handed  a 
chosen  man  a  written  pledge  for  a 
high  position  in  his  kingdom  if  the 
man  would  support  him  the  man  de- 
clined it,  saying,  "Your  Majesty's 
word  is  sufficient.  I  would  not  serve 
a  king  if  I  could  not  trust  his  word." 
The  word  of  our  King  is  worthy  our 
fullest  confidence,  and  we  can  rely 
upon  its  complete  fulfillment.  Upon 
the  day  that  God  fails  to  keep  his 
word  the  universe  will  fall  to  pieces. 
— Sunday-School   Chronicle. 

390.  Promptness,  in  Accepting 
Gospel  Offer.  See  Offer,  Accept 
the  First. 

391.  Redeemer,  Serving  Our. 
Years  ago,  in  a  Southern  State,  a 
slave  auction  was  held.  Upon  the 
block  stood  a  beautiful  young  woman, 
fair  of  countenance,  with  yellow  hair 
and  blue  eyes,  and  only  upon  the 
finger-nails  and  at  the  roots  of  the 
hair  was  there  a  slight  tinge  of  color 
to  show  that  generations  back  an 
African  had  been  among  her  ances- 
tors. She  stood  there  to  be  sold  as 
a  slave,  and  bids  came  from  all  over 
the  crowd.  Every  bid  made  by  those 
near  the  auction  block  was  answered 
and  raised  by  some  one  further  back, 
and  at  last,  to  the  distant  bidder 
the  girl  was  sold.  The  throng  opened 
to  give  the  man  access  to  his  pur- 
chase. As  the  girl  looked  at  her  new 
master  she  felt  that  he  was  no  ordi- 
nary person.  Benign  was  the  face 
and  gentle  the  eye  of  the  man  who 
drew  near  to  her.  As  he  came  to 
the  block,  he  stood  by  the  girl  a  mo- 
ment, then  put  his  hand  in  his  coat 
pocket,  drew  out  a  paper,  and  hand- 
ing it  to  her  said :  "My  girl,  you 
are  free ;  there  are  your  manumis- 
sion papers."  He  turned  to  leave 
her,  but  on  the  instant  she  leaped 
from  the  block,  dropped  at  his  feet, 
clasped  his  knees  with  her  arms,  and 
with  tears  streaming  down  her  face, 
said,  "Oh,  sir,  do  not  leave  me ;  I 
do  not  know  who  you  are,  but  take 
me   with  you.     You  have   redeemed 


me,  and  I  will  serve  you  faithfully 
all   my   life." 

Oh,  we  who  have  been  redeemed, 
not  with  perishable  things  such  as 
silver  and  gold,  but  with  the  precious 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  of  a  lamb 
without  spot  and  without  blemish,  is 
not  ours  the  duty  to  bring  to  him 
other  souls  to  be  cleansed  by  his 
blood  and  saved  with  his  salvation? 
May  we  everywhere  rouse  to  duty, 
strive  for  souls,  and  make  the  year 
of  work  which  opens  before  us  a  year 
of  years,  marked  by  the  addition  to 
the  Church  of  a  multitude  of  souls 
saved  by  Christ  to  the  life  everlast- 
ing. 

392.  Recruiting  for  Christ.     In 

Hamilton,  Canada,  certain  officers 
commanding  various  units  adopted 
the  following  method  in  an  effort  to 
bring  their  battalions  up  to  the  re- 
quired strength  for  overseas  service. 
They  turned  their  entire  battalions 
loose  for  three  days,  having  in- 
structed the  men  to  hunt  up  their 
relatives,  their  chums,  and  their  ac- 
quaintances, in  an  effort  to  get  them 
to  enlist.  The  results  were  splendid, 
and  the  battalions  were  quickly 
brought  up  to  full  strength.  Do  we 
realize  that  as  soon  as  we  enlist  in 
the  army  of  King  Jesus,  he  immedi- 
ately commissions  us  as  recruiting 
officers  to  bring  in  our  relatives, 
friends,  and  acquaintances  to  his  king- 
dom and  service?  And  that  he  ex- 
pects us  to  engage  in  this  work  not 
simply  for  three  days,  but  for  life? 
— Rev.  T.  DeCourcy  Rayner. 

393.  Regeneration.  It  is  related 
that  Augustine,  shortly  after  his  con- 
version met  the  woman  who  had  been 
his  evil  genius,  and  would  have 
passed  her  by.  She  stopped  him, 
"Augustine,  it  is  I."  To  which  he 
replied,  "But  it  is  not  I."  He  was 
a  new  man  in  Christ. 

394.  Regeneration,  Experienced. 

An  old  Scotchman,  who  was  con- 
verted, was  asked  why  he  was  not 
more  bumble,  and  why  he  did  not  say 
he  hoped  he  was  saved  or  trusted 
that  he  was  saved.  He  turned  around 
— I  will  never  forget  his  answer. 
"Why,"  he  said,  "man  alive,  I  was 
there  when  it  was  done." 


395.    Rejection    of    Christ. 
Christ,  Turning  from. 


See 


94 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


396.  Religion,  the  Change  it 
Makes.  I  remember  some  years 
ago  conducting  a  mission,  and  one 
of  the  office-bearers  of  the  church 
where  I  was  said  to  me :  "Mr.  Mor- 
gan, I  want  you  to  come  and  see 
some  people.  A  girl  was  married 
out  of  our  Sunday-school  a  few 
years  ago  to  a  man  who  is  a  slave 
to  drink  and  impurity  and  gam- 
bling. I  would  like  you  to  come 
along  and  see  her." 

I  went.  It  was  in  1885,  on  a  cold 
February  day.  Oh,  I  cannot  picture 
the  home  to  you !  It  was  one  of 
those  awful  houses  in  the  midlands 
of  England,  reached  by  passing 
through  an  entry  between  other 
houses  into  a  back  court.  When  I 
got  to  the  entry  with  my  friend  some 
children  who  were  hovering  and 
shivering  there,  hearing  our  steps 
approaching,  rushed  away.  We  fol- 
lowed them  and  went  into  the  house. 
I  see  that  room  now.  There  was  a. 
broken  table  standing  there,  a  chair 
with  the  back  broken  off  standing  by 
it,  no  fire  in  the  grate ;  upon  the 
mantel-shelf  a  cup  and  saucer 
broken ;  and  not  another  article  of 
furniture  that  my  eye  rested  on  in 
the  room.  And  there  stood  a  woman 
in  unwomanly  rags,  with  the  mark 
of  a  brutal  fist  upon  her  face  and 
three  ill-clad  bairns  clinging  to  her 
gown.  She  said :  "Excuse  the  chil- 
dren running  from  you,  but  they 
thought  it  was   father." 

Oh,   the  tragedy  of   it! 

When  I  got  on  to  the  rostrum 
that  night  to  preach  my  friend  came 
to  me  and  said :  "He  is  here."  I 
said:  "Who  is  here?"  "That 
woman's  husband ;  he  is  sitting  right 
down  in  front  of  you." 

Now,  I  don't  often  preach  at  one 
man,  but  I  did  that  night.  I  put 
aside  what  I  was  going  to  talk  about 
and  read  the  story  of  the  prodigal, 
and  I  asked  God  to  help  me  talk 
about  it,  and  for  about  a  solid  hour 
I  preached  at  that  man.  Do  you 
think  I  hammered  at  him  and 
scolded  him?  Not  I.  I  told  him 
God  loved  him,  there  and  then ;  and 
when  we  got  to  our  after  meeting  I 
asked,  "What  man  is  coming  home 
to-night?"  And  he  was  the  very 
first  to  rise.  He  came  forward,  and 
as  I  went  down  from  the  rostrum 
and  gave  that  meeting  into  some  one 
else's  hands,  and  got  my  arm^  around 
him  and  prayed  and  wept  with  him, 


he  entered  into  the  Kingdom  of 
God. 

My  friend  said  to  me  one  day 
about  twelve  months  later,  "I  want 
you  to  go  and  see  some  people."  I 
said  "Who?"  He  said,  "Do  you  re- 
member going  to  see  a  woman  last 
year  whose  husband  was  converted?" 
I  went.  We  hadn't  gone  far — it  was 
February  of  the  next  year — before 
I  said  to  him,  "Friend,  where  are  you 
taking  me?"  "Oh,  we  are  going  to 
see  those  people."  "But,"  I  said, 
"we  are  not  going  the  same  way." 
"No,"  he  said,  "they  have  moved." 
Moved !  Why  did  they  move  ? 
Why,  the  man  was  converted  and  he 
soon  changed  his  dwelling-place. 
The  man  was  re-made,  and  he  re- 
made his  environment;  and  he  had 
gone,  not  into  a  palace,  but  into  a 
cottage  in  the  main  street. 

If  I  could  paint  pictures  I  would 
paint  those  two.  I  can  see  that  home 
now.  It  was  on  a  Sunday,  after  the 
afternoon  service,  and  he  sat  by  the 
fire  with  his  three  bairns,  who  had 
run  away  from  him  a  year  ago.  One 
was  on  his  knee,  another  on  his 
shoulder  and  another  stood  by  him ; 
and  I  never  heard  a  sweeter  solo  in 
my  life  than  the  solo  the  kettle  sang 
on  the  hob  that  day.  The  woman 
that  last  year  was  dressed  in  un- 
womanly rags  was  clothed  and  the 
sunlight  of  love  was  on  her  face. — 
Rev.  G.  Campbell  Morgan,  D.D. 

397.  Repentance,  a  Child's. 
Perhaps  the  quaintest  letter  in  the 
whole  White  House  collection  is  one 
which  came  from  a  child  to  Presi- 
dent Cleveland,  written  in  Septem- 
ber, 1895.  This  is  what  it  says:  "To 
His  Majesty  President  Cleveland. 
Dear  Presidexit :  I  am  in  a  dreadful 
state  of  mind,  and  I  thought  I  would 
write  and  tell  }^ou  all.  About  two 
years  ago — as  near  as  I  can  remem- 
ber it  is  two  years — I  used  two 
postage  stamps  that  had  been  used 
before  on  letters,  perhaps  more  than 
two  stamps,  but  I  can  only  remem- 
ber of  doing  it  twice.  I  did  not 
realize  what  I  had  done  until  lately. 
My  mind  is  constantly  turned  on  that 
subject,  and  I  think  of  it  night  and 
day.  Now,  dear  President,  will  you 
please  forgive  me,  and  I  will  prom- 
ise you  I  will  never  do  it  again. 
Enclosed  find  cost  of  three  stamps, 
and  please  forgive  me,  for  I  was 
then   but   thirteen   years   old,    for   I 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      95 


am  heartily   sorry  for   what   I  have 
done.     From  one  of  your  subjects." 

398.  Repentance,  Needed.  Every 
one  seems  to  agree  that  the  world  is 
in  a  bad  way,  and  nearly  every  one 
seems  to  think  the  war  was  to  blame 
for  it.     But  is  it? 

"What  is  the  matter  with  us?"  said 
one  thoughtful  man  to  his  neighbor. 
The  matter  is  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
cannot  reach  a  soul  or  a  nation  that 
does  not   repent. 

First  of  all  comes  repentance. 
When  John  the  Baptist  preached  in 
the  wilderness,  he  preached  on — re- 
pent ! 

When  Jesus  came  out  of  the  wil- 
derness in  the  power  of  the  Spirit, 
his  first  sermon  was  on — repent! 

It  is  a  word  which  has  dropped 
out  of  the  vocabulary  of  the  aver- 
age preacher.  He  discourses  on  serv- 
ice and  social  needs  and  international 
good-will  to  an  audience  that  needs 
first  of  all  to   repent. 

When  once  this  nation  gets  to  the 
place  where  it  humbly  acknowledges 
its  sins  and  seeks  the  forgiveness  of 
God  for  its  sin  the  Spirit  will  come 
with   power. 

The  one  thing  which  hinders  spir- 
itual power  in  this  country  and  the 
world  is  lack  of  repentance  for  sin. 

There  will  never  be  a  revival  of 
righteousness  in  this  nation  until  it 
confesses  its  transgression  and  re- 
pents of  its  evil  ways. — Christian 
Herald. 

399.  Rescue,     the     Work     of. 

After  being  entombed  by  a  fall  of 
coal  in  a  mine  of  the  Reading  Com- 
pany, near  Shamokin,  Pa.,  for  a 
period  of  ninety-six  hours,  without 
food  or  water,  Joseph  Renock,  a 
miner,  was  taken  out  alive.  A  force 
of  120  men  had  been  working  for 
four  days  at  the  risk  of  their  lives 
in  an  effort  to  rescue  the  impris- 
oned man.  In  their  path  they  found 
a  large  steel  car  which  they  had  to 
chisel  away.  Members  of  his  fam- 
ily were  at  the  mine  when  Renock 
was  rescued,  and  the  rejoicing  was 
beyond  description.  The  rescued  man 
was  rushed  to  the  hospital,  and  was 
returned  to  his  home  and  work  again. 
What  a  superb  type  of  manhood  do 
we  find  among  these  hardy  miners ! 
They  take  their  lives  in  their  hands 
every  day  away  from  God's  sunlight, 
to  get   fuel   for  the   public   comfort 


and  convenience,  and  they  will  not 
hesitate  an  instant  in  rescuing  a  fel- 
low-workman in  danger  or  distress. 
Oh,  if  men  could  be  so  prompt  and 
persistent  in  saving  the  imprisoned 
souls  of  men  !  Some  are ;  may  the 
number  increase,  imitating  him  of 
whom  it  was  said :  "The  Son  of  man 
is  come  to  seek  and  to  save  that 
which  was  lost." 

400.  Rescue-work.  "What  else 
could  I  do?"  So  said  a  frail  young 
girl  of  seventeen. 

The  home  of  this  young  heroine, 
Miss  Esther  Fuller,  is  in  Corpus 
Christi,  Tex.  The  flood  came  in  the 
fall  of  1919,  and  she  and  her  brother, 
a  lad  of  eleven,  found  themselves 
in  the  water.  The  boy  became  un- 
conscious, and  for  five  hours  before 
being  rescued  the  girl  swam  about 
in  the  surging  waters,  supporting 
her  little  brother.  Happily  her  fa- 
vorite sport  had  been  swimming,  ac- 
cording to  the  account  in  the  news- 
papers. 

"I  couldn't  leave  him,  could  I?" 
was  the  expression  of  the  girl  when 
her  heroic  conduct  was  being  com- 
mended. 

What  a  motto  for  those  who  are 
seeking  to  win  others  for  their  Mas- 
ter's  service  1 

Those  who  endeavor  to  "rescue  the 
perishing"  will  find  that  the  Lord 
will  provide  strength  for  their  task. 
Pluckily  and  hopefully  they  may  con- 
tinue their  labor  of  love.  Unfalter- 
ing faith  in  the  saving  Christ  leads 
the  Christian  worker  to  exclaim,  "I 
couldn't  leave  him,  could  I?"  Be- 
cause of  such  holy  daring  many  have 
been  reclaimed  from  the  ways  of  sin. 
—Rev.  W.  J.  Hart,  D.D. 

401.  Rest,   Christ  Gives.     Dr.   F. 

E.  Clark  told  of  watching  two  birds 
following  their  vessel,  on  the  At- 
lantic, for  days.  They  grew  wearier 
and  wearier ;  made  feints  at  alight- 
ing, but  were  afraid  to.  At  last, 
through  sheer  exhaustion,  one 
dropped  into  the  waves,  and  per- 
ished. The  other,  at  the  last  mo- 
ment, alighted  on  the  steamer's  deck, 
and  was  saved.  "Come  unto  me  and 
I  will  give  you  rest." 

402.  Restitution  and  Repentance. 

See  Repentance,  a  Child's. 

403.  Results     of     Decision.    To 

decide    for   Christ   is    to   decide   for 


96 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


good-fortune,  for  peace,  for  happi- 
ness, for  friends,  for  prosperity,  for 
a  blessed  eternity.  Who  can  hesitate 
before  that  decision? 

404.  Resisting  Christ.  "Why  do 
you  want  to  join  the  church?" 
asked  the  pastor  of  a  New  England 
boy.  "Because  I  want  to  show  that 
I  am  a  saved  sinner."  "Do  you  feel 
that  you  are  saved?"  "Yes,  sir." 
"Who  saved  you?"  "It  is  the  work 
of  Jesus  Christ  and  of  myself."  "Of 
yourself?  What  was  your  share  in 
the  work  of  your  salvation?"  "I 
resisted,  and  Jesus  Christ  did  the 
rest." 

405.  Revival,  After  the.  After 
the  revival  comes  that  important 
work  of  training  for  the  service. 
There  must  be  a  beginning.  Young 
converts  learn  to  do  things  by  doing 
them.  Valuable  talents  have  been 
lost  to  the  church  because  not  called 
into  exercise  in  early  Christian  life. 
There  is  something  for  every  child 
of  God  to  do.  And  the  pastor  who 
excuses  his  members,  in  order  to 
make  it  easy  for  them  is  robbing  and 
impoverishing  them,  and  robbing 
himself  of  their  help  and  dishonor- 
ing God. 

The  failure  to  train  for  service 
those  whom  God  has  accepted  as  his 
servants  is,  perhaps,  the  greatest  de- 
fect in  our  church  life  to-day.  A 
genuine  revival,  an  ingathering  of 
souls,  is  only  the  beginning  of  what 
should  follow.  Wise  nurture  and 
faithful  training  must  complete  the 
work  that  God  has  graciously  be- 
gun.— Rev.  S.  E.  Wishard,  D.D. 

406.  Revival,  Conditions  of. 
Every  local  church  can  have  a  re- 
vival if  it  plans  for  it,  organizes  its 
forces,  believes  in  a  saving  Christ, 
presents  a  vital  gospel  and  goes  out 
after  the  lost  and  brings  them  in. — 
Telescope. 

407.  Revival,   Faith  Will   Bring. 

In  the  city  of  Winnipeg,  Manitoba, 
four  hundred  Church  officers  assem- 
bled for  an  evening  luncheon  and 
after  conference  concerning  the  needs 
of  the  city,  it  was  stated  by  a  dis- 
tinguished minister  present  that  this 
body  of  men  could  solve  every  prob- 
lem affecting  the  City  of  Winnipeg 
if  they  but  lived  up  to  their  God- 
given    privileges.      The    meeting    of 


the  spiritual  needs  of  any  community 
is  within  the  power  of  the  Chris- 
tians in    that   community. 

When  Joash  came  to  visit  Elisha, 
the  prophet  said,  "Take  the  arrows, 
.  .  .  smite  upon  the  ground.  And 
he  smote  thrice  and  stayed.  And  the 
man  of  God  was  wroth  with  him, 
and  said,  Thou  shouldest  have  smit- 
ten five  or  six  times ;  then  hadst  thou 
smitten  Syria  until  thou  hadst  con- 
sumed it;  whereas  now  thou  shalt 
smite  Syria  but  thrice." 

The  irresolute  character  of  Joash 
lacked  the  quality  of  character  that 
seeks  the  largest  possible  results. 

A  genuine  quickening  of  the 
Christ  life  in  the  church  equips  God's 
people  for  larger  possibilities,  and  is 
God's  command  to  "Go  up  and  pos- 
sess the  land." — H. 

408.  Revival,  Fire.  There  can 
be  no  revival  without  prayer  any 
more  than  there  can  be  steam  with- 
out fire.  The  prayerless  church  is  a 
powerless  church. — Telescope. 

409.  Revival,  Good.  A  revival 
of  business  is  earnestly  welcomed  by 
every  man.  It  would  seem  that  a 
revival  of  anything  that  is  good  is  in 
itself  good,  and  ought  to  be  wel- 
comed at  any  time.  And  yet  there  are 
men  who  seem  to  have  a  horror  of  a 
religious  revival. 

If  religion  is  good,  then  a  revival 
of  religion  is  good.  If  life  is  good, 
then  more  abundant  life  is  better. 
If  practical  recognition  of  God  in 
daily  life  and  conduct  is  good,  then 
decided  and  special  and  impressive 
recognition  of  him  and  of  our  need  of 
him  and  desire  toward  him  is  good. 
If  gratitude  and  trust  and  love  are 
good,  it  follows  that  the  expression 
of  these  is  good.  David  declared  that 
when  he  kept  silence  his  bones 
wasted  away.  The  springs  of  his  be- 
ing were  drying  up  until  they  found 
expression.  He  was  conscious  of 
his  sin,  and  that  there  was  forgive- 
ness with  God.  It  was  not  informa- 
tion that  he  needed,  but  action. 
When  he  confessed  his  sin  and 
sought  forgiveness,  he  experienced 
revival. 

410.    Revival,   How   Secured.     A 

revival  is  the  result  of  one  or  more 
persons  letting  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
be  not  only  their  Saviour  but  their 
supreme  Lord  and  Master;  faithfully 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      97 

413.  Revival,  Means  "Life 
Again."  Revival  means  "life  again." 
Oh,  how  God  longs  for  it  every- 
where! He  has  paid  the  price  for 
it ;  let  us  take  it  from  his  outstreched 
hands.  Let  us  claim  it  by  the  prom- 
ise made  us  through  the  prayer  of 
the  great  apostle: 


studying  the  Word  of  God  to  know 
his  will ;  faithfully  praying  in  his 
name  in  order  that  his  will  may  be 
done  in  them  and  through  them ; 
faithfully  witnessing  to  his  power  in 
order  that  he  may  enter  into  lives 
round  about  them.  When  the  mind 
of  Christ  becomes  the  mind  of  one 
or  more  persons  in  a  church,  and 
his  burdens  become  their  burdens, 
his  suffering  their  suffering,  his  in- 
tercession their  intercession,  his  wit- 
nessing their  witnessing, — a  revival 
is  likely  to  follow. — The  Sunday 
School  Times. 

411.  Revival,  Husbanding  the 
Fruits  of.  One  element  in  hus- 
banding the  fruits  of  a  revival  is 
putting  the  converts  in  positions  of 
trust  and  responsibility.  The  first 
thought  of  every  truly  converted  per- 
son is  to  do  something  for  Christ 
and  his  cause ;  but  how  shall  they 
do  it,  and  where  shall  they  begin? 
This  is  the  time  for  the  church  to 
step  up  to  the  converts.  Point  them 
to  a  place  of  work,  and  if  there  are 
no  vacancies,  let  those  of  experi- 
ence in  the  church  make  vacancies  by 
going  out  themselves  into  larger 
work.  With  our  varied  departments 
in  all  our  churches  at  present,  every 
convert  can  be  given  a  place  of  trust 
or  responsibility. 

Again,  notice  the  benefits  of  cot- 
tage prayer  services  in  establishing 
new  converts  in  the  faith  of  Christ, 
as  well  as  in  the  church.  It  has 
been  my  custom  to  follow  this  for 
some  months  after  each  revival, 
making  it  a  rule  to  hold  our  meet- 
ings in  the  homes  of  the  new  con- 
verts. I  find  that  a  service  of  this 
kind  in  the  home  of  a  new  convert, 
somehow,  seals  the  affections  of  that 
home  with  the  church  and  its  mem- 
bership.— Rev.  P.  M.  Camp. 

412.  Revival,  Means  Church  on 
Fire.  Orthodoxy  does  not  insure 
a  revival.  Many  a  church  which  has 
carefully,  proudly  cherished  its  or- 
thodoxy for  many  a  year  is  as  far 
from  a  revival  as  the  most  hetero- 
dox church  in  the  land.  There  must 
be  something  more  than  an  intel- 
lectual adherence  to  scripturally  cor- 
rect theology.  Remember  Sunday's 
terse  word :  "A  church  that  is  only 
an  evangelical  church  is  a  church  on 
ice ;  a  church  that  is  evangelistic  is  a 
church  on  fire." 


"All  that  we  ask, 
All  that  we  ask  or  think. 
Above  all  that  we  ask  or  think. 
Abundantly  above  all  that  we  ask 
or  think. 
Exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that 
we  ask  or  think. 
According  to  the  Power  that  work- 
eth  in  us." 

— Sunday  School  Times. 

414.  Revival,  Needed.  The  min- 
ister of  a  certain  church,  where  the 
congregation  was  large,  came  home 
one  day  in  a  state  of  depression. 
"What  is  the  matter?"  asked  his 
wife  anxiously.  He  replied,  "I  felt 
this  morning  that  I  ought  to  resign 
and  give  up  the  cause  of  Christ." 
Shocked,  and  not  understanding,  the 
minister's  wife  said,  "Why,  what  has 
made  you  feel  like  this?"  The  good 
man  sighed  as  he  answered,  "My 
congregation  seem  so  indifferent. 
They  hear  my  counsel,  yet  they  go 
on  jiving  for  themselves  alone,  and 
Christ  appears  meaningless  to  them." 
"So  you  would  like  every  one  to  be 
good,  and  everything  just  right,"  said 
his  wife.  "Yes."  "Then,"  said  she, 
"if  that  were  so  you  could  resign, 
because  you  wouldn't  be  needed. 
While  there  are  people  who  forsake 
God.  and  appear  indifferent  to  his 
teaching,  you  should  work  on.  Your 
preaching  and  teaching  are  still 
badly  wanted,  and  never  forget  that 
your  cause  is  the  Lord's." — Christian 
Herald. 

415.  Revival,  Our  Part  In.     Our 

prayers  for  God's  help  are  often  an- 
swered with  exhortations  to  help 
ourselves.  The  prophet's  cry, 
"Awake,  awake,  put  on  thy  strength, 
O  arm  of  the  Lord,"  echoes  back 
"Awake,  awake,  put  on  thy  strength, 
O  Zion."  The  Church's  plea  for  re- 
vival brings  the  answer:  "Shake  thy- 
self from  the  dust."  "Loose  thyself 
from  the  bands  of  thy  neck." 
"Wherefore  criest  thou  unto  me? 
Speak  unto  the  Children  of  Israel 
that  they  go  forward." 


98 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


416.  Revival,  That  Spreads. 
After  the  Pentecost,  Peter  and  others 
kept  on  preaching  and  the  Lord 
added  to  the  church  daily,  and  the 
number  of  men  that  believed  was 
about  five  thousand.  And  we  find 
the  influence  of  these  revivals  spread- 
ing over  the  lands  and  down  the 
centuries  until  the  banner  of  the 
cross  waved  over  the  city  of  Con- 
stantine.  Pastor  Harms  of  Hermans- 
burg,  Germany,  was  not  distin- 
guished for  his  eloquence,  but  his 
one  aim  was  the  conversion  of  souls. 
His  parish  was  ten  miles  square. 
He  had  inquiry-meetings  and  a 
prayer-meeting  every  evening.  The 
revival  interest  continued  for  sev- 
enteen years.  There  was  a  family 
altar  in  every  dwelling  and  he  had 
a  church  of  ten  thousand  members. 

417.  Revivals,  by  Yielding  Our 
Wills.  We  do  not  believe  in  get- 
ting up  a  revival.  All  genuine  re- 
vivals must  come  down.  It  is  not 
man-made.  A  revival  of  religion  is 
a  miracle  of  divine  grace.  It  cannot 
be  secured  by  any  kind  of  machin- 
ery, and  yet  its  coming  to  a  church 
is  not  so  mysterious  and  so  apart 
from  human  agency  and  the  use  of 
means  as  some  good  people  think. 
God  is  always  ready  to  pour  out  his 
Spirit ;  indeed,  the  Spirit  is  poured 
out.  The  Spirit  is  around  us,  like 
the  light,  and  will  enter  our  hearts  as 
soon  as  we  open  them.  The  Spirit 
is  pressing  against  the  stubborn  wills 
of  impenitent  men  and  women,  like 
water  against  the  head-gate  of  a 
mill.  He  will  come  in,  and  start  all 
the  wheels  of  moral  action,  as  soon 
as  the  gate  is  ooen. 

418.  Revivals,  How  They  Orig- 
inate, What  They  Accomplish.     At 

this  time,  when  the  hearts  of  multi- 
tudes are  praying  for  a  great  spirit- 
ual revival,  it  may  be  helpful  to  re- 
view the  revivals  of  the  past  to  note 
how  they  originated  and  what  they 
accomplished.  The  whole  history  of 
the  Christian  Church  is  one  of  suc- 
cessful revivals.  Without  these  peri- 
odical awakenings,  it  would  never 
have  made  the  spiritual  progress  it 
did. 

In  these  sordid  days,  when  multi- 
tudes are  bent  on  the  acquisition  of 
wealth,  the  indulgence  of  extrava- 
gance, and  the  pursuit  of  pleasure, 
there  are  many  who  belittle  revivals. 


They  assert  that  they  are  things  of 
the  past — out  of  date  and  unsuited 
to  the  needs  of  the  modern  age. 
Even  in  some  of  the  churches  we 
hear  such  mistaken  teachings.  There 
are  pastors  who  regard  the  revival 
as  an  intrusion  upon  the  calm  of  their 
church  life,  with  its  formalities  and 
proprieties.  They  will  join  in  a 
"drive"  for  any  one  of  a  multitude 
of  good  causes,  but  never  in  a  drive 
for  souls. 

As  we  look  back  on  history,  we  see 
how  even  the  Exodus  itself  was  in 
a  large  sense  a  revival.  Israel,  blind 
and  besotted  in  its  bondage,  hugged 
its  flesh-pots  and  had  no  vision  of 
the  future.  Even  after  it  had 
started  across  the  wilderness,  its 
faith  needed  constant   renewing. 

Pentecost,  which  has  been  called 
the  commencement  of  the  new  era  of 
organized  Christianity,  was  essen- 
tially a  revival.  The  whole  ministry 
of  Jesus  was  preparatory  work  for 
the  upbuilding  of  his  Church  on 
earth,  and  the  revival  came  as  he 
had  promised,  with  the  Pentecostal 
enduement  of  power. 

The  time  has  come  when  the 
Church  must  go  to  God  for  itself, 
before  it  can  go  to  God  for  a  lost 
world.  Prayerless  churches  are  pow- 
erless churches — from  God's  point  of 
view — no  matter  how  full  of  "good 
works." 

419.  Revivals,  Must  They  Be 
Chiefly  Emotional?  No.  The  tru- 
est, most  serviceable  revival  is  not 
chiefly  emotional.  The  work  of 
Billy  Sunday,  for  example,  is  not 
chiefly  emotional.  It  is  chiefly  an 
appeal  to  the  will.  An  experienced 
worker  who  had  been  with  him 
through  the  Scranton  campaign  said 
to  some  Philadelphia  men  before  the 
campaign  here  started :  "If  a  man 
hasn't  any  brains,  tell  him  to  keep 
away  from  the  Sunday  meetings.  A 
man  who  goes  to  hear  Billy  Sunday 
must  be  prepared  to  think."  Reli- 
gion is  not  a  matter  of  the  feelings, 
it  is  a  matter  of  the  will.  The  con- 
spicuous characteristic  of  Billy  Sun- 
day's message  is  their  clean-cut,  in- 
escapable, relentless  reasoning, — re- 
lentless, that  is,  against  the  lies  that 
the  Devil  tries  to  persuade  men  to 
accept  instead  of  God's  truth.  Sun- 
day and  other  strong  evangelists  do 
not  hesitate  to  appeal  to  the  emo- 
tions   as    occasion    may    offer    from 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS      99 


time  to  time;  but  they  know  that 
the  emotional  appeal  is  not  the  final 
appeal.  In  a  tremendous  sermon  on 
Matthew's  conversion,  from  the  text, 
"And  he  arose  and  followed  him," 
Sunday  drove  home  the  truth  that  "a 
quiet  conversion  may  be  a  thorough 
conversion." 

420.  Revivals,  Opposed.  The 
following  persons  with  all  the  mem- 
bers of  th*nr  families  don't  like  gen- 
uine revivals :  Mr.  Formality,  Mr. 
Hypocrisy,  Mr.  Half  Hope,  Mr. 
Guess  So,  Mr.  Lost  His  Experience, 
Mr.  Worldly  Policy,  Mr.  Compro- 
mise, Mr.  Secret  Sin,  Mr.  Luke- 
warm and  Mr.  At  Ease  in  Zion.  We 
do  not  like  to  indulge  in  personali- 
ties, but  lest  unexperienced  revival 
workers  should  be  alarmed  at  the  op- 
position which  they  will  meet  from 
these  persons  we  feel  that  this  state- 
ment should  be  made. 

421.  Revivals,    Reactions    from. 

Are  reactions  from  a  revival  inevita- 
ble, probable,  or  necessary?  Reaction 
is  probable ;  it  is  not  inevitable  or  nec- 
essary. Reaction  means  "reverse  or 
return  action" ;  and  wherever  there 
is  a  real  revival  the  Devil  and  his 
helpers  throw  themselves  furiously 
into  a  campaign  to  reverse  its  bless- 
ings. They're  pretty  likely  to  find 
some  human  beings  who  will  yield  to 
their  onslaughts.  But  a  reaction 
from  a  revival  is  no  more  inevitable 
or  necessary  than  that  sickness  must 
overtake  a  person  who  is  in  the  best 
of  health,  merely  because  he  is 
healthy.  Remember;  the  revival  life 
is  the  normal  life ;  reaction  from  it 
is  a  relapse  into  the  abnormal. 

422.  Revivals,  They  Revive.  Are 
revivals  in  the  long  run  helpful  or 
harmful? 

A  true  revival  revives ;  and  to  re- 
vive, according  to  the  Standard  Dic- 
tionary, is  "to  bring  to  life  again 
after  real  or  apparent  death ;  to  bring 
from  a  state  of  languor,  depression, 
or  discouragement  to  a  state  of 
health  or  cheer ;  give  new  life  to  ; 
refresh."  Is  this,  in  the  long  run, 
helpful  or  harmful? 

Are  revivals  necessarily  rather  for 
the  unthinking,  superficial  "masses" 
than  for  the  more  thoughtful 
"classes"? 

Only  if  the  masses  need  Christ 
more  than  the  classes, — and  they  do 


not.  Culture  can  deaden  just  as  ef- 
fectively as  illiteracy.  Wealth  can 
deaden  just  as  effectively  as  poverty. 
The  true  revival  cuts  through  the 
deadening  effect  of  anything  and 
everything  that  has  come  between 
the  individual  and  Christ,  and  lets 
Christ  into  the  heart  and  mind  in 
resurrection  power.  A  revival  is  a 
resurrection.  Whoever  is  really  or 
apparently  dead,  no  matter  what 
the  cause,  needs  reviving. — Sunday 
School  Times. 

423.  Revivals,  Thoroughness  in. 

Preachers  should  by  all  means  be 
thorough  in  preaching.  By  this  we 
do  not  mean  that  they  should  be 
severe  or  rough,  but  that  they  should 
make  the  word  plain  and  make  ex- 
ceedingly clear  the  terms  of  salva- 
tion so  that  none  would  imagine 
that  they  could  obtain  the  salvation 
of  the  Lord  unless  they  really  re- 
pented of  all  sin  and  surrendered 
themselves  fully  to  God  and  to  his 
will.  Those  at  the  altar  are  seldom 
saved  above  the  standard  proclaimed 
from  the  pulpit.  Hence  the  impera- 
tive need  of  preaching  if  genuine 
work  is  the  object  to  be  obtained. 

424.  Revivals,  Times  of  Oppor- 
tunity to  Secure.  See  Times  for 
Revival. 

425.  Righteousness,    God's    Gift. 

A  Scotch  minister  was  once  preach- 
ing at  Inverness,  and  was  about  to 
enter  the  pulpit,  when  word  was 
brought  to  him  that  an  aged  High- 
lander, now  eighty  years  of  age,  who 
had  been  converted  at  sixty,  lay  dy- 
ing. Though  there  were  only  a  few 
minutes  to  spare,  he  went  over  to 
see  this  man.  Going  to  the  house, 
he  said  to  him,  "I  have  just  four 
minutes.  Do  you  think  you  could 
tell  me  in  that  time  how  you  were 
converted?"  "Oh,  yes,"  he  replied, 
"I  could  tell  you  in  two.  When  I 
was  sixty  years  of  age,  the  Lord 
Jesus  came  along  and  said  to  me, 
'Sandy,  I'll  exchange  you.' "  "Ex- 
change, Sandy,  and  what  did  you 
give  him?"  asked  the  minister.  And 
Sandy  replied,  "I  gave  him  all  my 
years  of  sin  and  my  sinful  heart,  and 
he  gave  me  in  return  his  righteous- 
ness." 

426.  Sacrifice,  Willing.  Captain 
the  Rev.  D.  J.  Hiley,  a  Baptist  min- 


100 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


ister  on  active  service  behind  the 
British  lines  in  France,  said  in  a  let- 
ter to  his  church :  As  the  hospital 
train  comes  in,  in  the  bright  face 
of  that  lad  from  London  no  one 
would  have  gathered  what  was  the 
matter  with  him.  I  look  into  his 
bright  face,  and  say,  "Well,  you  have 
been  hurt."  "Yes,  sir,  but,  thank 
God,  I  am  alive.  I  am  going  home 
without  my  right  hand,  but  my 
mother  will  be  glad  to  have  what  is 
left  of  me.  Yes,  sir,  I  am  glad  to  be 
alive."  "Yes,  I  am  sure  your  mother 
will  be  glad  to  have  you  as  you  are. 
Shall  I  write  to  her  for  you,  as  you 
have  lost  your  right  hand?"  Again 
he  looked  up,  and  said,  "I  did  not 
lose  it,  sir ;  I  gave  it."  Yes !  and 
God,  writing  of  his  Son's  sacrifice, 
wrote  not  that  he  lost  him,  but  that 
he  gave  him.  "God  so  loved  the 
world  that  he  gave — ."  Let  God's 
love  move  you  to  give  you  yourself 
to  him. — H. 

427.  Salvation,  a  Great.  A  de- 
tachment of  the  American  Army  had 
just  entered  a  small  French  village 
from  which  the  enemy  had  fled.  In 
an  ecstasy  of  joy  the  few  remaining 
inhabitants  flocked  out  to  greet  them, 
singing,  dancing,  shedding  tears  of 
gladness  as  they  approached.  "Well, 
I'm  glad  to  help  save  these  people," 
exclaimed  a  young  officer  thought- 
lessly, "but  I  don't  see  why  they 
have  to  get  so  crazy  over  it."  "Ah, 
m'sieur,"  an  old  lady  who  had  over- 
heard him  replied,  "that's  because 
you  don't  know  what  you've  saved 
us  from !"  Perhaps  the  reason  many 
people  do  not  get  more  joy  and  hap- 
piness out  of  Christ  is  because  they 
do  not  realize  what  he  has  saved 
them  from.  Realize  your  salvation. 
Confess  it.    Praise  God  for  it. — H. 

428.  Salvation    and    Its    Sequel. 

The  man  who  really  believes  on 
Christ  is  saved  by  that  alone.  He 
can  never  be  lost.  As  Rowland  Hill 
used  to  say,  "We  two  are  so  joined, 
he  can't  be  in  glory  and  leave  me  be- 
hind." But  salvation  from  the  pen- 
alty of  sin  is  not  the  whole  of  salva- 
tion ;  only  beginning  of  it. 

The  sequel  to  "becoming  a  Chris- 
tian" is  following  Christ.  "Salva- 
tion" is  a  large  word,  including 
growth  in  character  and  usefulness 
and  all  the  high  attainments  which 
are  included  in  a  genuine  Christian 


life. — Rev. 
D.D. 


David    James    Burrell, 


429.  Salvation,  at  Cost.  We  are 
told  in  these  days  that  if  one  is 
really  a  Christian  the  fact  will  show 
itself  in  his  every-day  living,  and  no 
statement  is  truer. 

In  the  meetings  conducted  by  one 
of  our  evangelists  in  a  Texas  city, 
a  man  definitely  gave  himself  to 
Jesus  Christ,  then  he  said  to  his  min- 
ister :  "This  will  cost  me  something. 
I  have  a  number  of  houses  in  this 
city  used  not  only  as  saloons  but  as 
places  of  questionable  resort.  They 
have  netted  me  a  handsome  income, 
but  from  to-night,  with  God's  help 
I  will  give  the  whole  thing  up."  The 
next  morning  he  placed  all  his  real 
estate  in  the  hands  of  an  agent,  and 
said :  "You  must  dispose  of  it,  for  I 
have  become  a  Christian  and  under 
no  circumstances  would  I  ever  do  a 
thing  that  would  so  dishonor  Christ." 
■ — J.  Wilbur  Chapman,   D.D. 

430.  Salvation,  by  Asking.  See 
Grace,  Not  Purchase. 

431.  Salvation,  Conditions  of. 
One  of  the  passengers  on  board  the 
Atlantic,  which  was  wrecked  off 
Fisher's  Island,  was  Principal  J.  R. 
Andrews  of  New  London.  He  could 
not  swim,  but  he  determined,  to 
make  a  desperate  effort  to  save  his 
life.  Binding  a  life-preserver  about 
him,  he  stood  on  the  edge  of  the 
deck  waiting  his  opportunity,  and 
when  he  saw  a  wave  moving  shore- 
ward, he  jumped  into  the  rough 
breakers  and  was  borne  safely  to  land. 
He  was  saved  by  faith.  He  ac- 
cepted the  conditions  of  salvation. 
Forty  perished  in  a  scene  where  he 
was  saved.  In  one  sense  he  saved 
himself ;  in  another  sense  he  de- 
pended on  God.  It  was  a  combina- 
tion of  personal  activity  and  depend- 
ence on  God  that  resulted  in  his  sal- 
vation. If  he  had  not  used  the  life- 
preserver,  he  would  have  perished ; 
if  he  had  not  cast  himself  into  the 
sea,  he  would  have  perished.  So 
faith  in  Christ  is  reliance  upon  him 
for  salvation ;  but  it  is  also  our  own 
making  of  a  new  start  in  life  and 
the  showing  of  our  trust  by  action. — 
A.  H.  Strong,  D.D. 


432.    Salvation,      Cost      of. 
Atonement,  Cost  of. 


See 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS    101 


433.  Salvation,  in  God's  Way. 
You  plant  a  seed  in  the  ground — 
that's  your  part.  You  don't  under- 
stand how  it  grows ;  how  God  makes 
it  grow  is  mysterious  to  you.  How 
God  turns  our  food  into  muscle  and 
sinew  is  mysterious ;  I  don't  under- 
stand it.  My  part  is  to  eat — that's 
all.  Outside  of  the  physicians — and 
some  of  them  may  not  know  much 
about  it — few  of  us  have  any  idea 
at  all  as  to  how  the  body  assimi- 
lates food.  How  God  saves  me,  I 
don't  know — that's  God's  part.  Al- 
though God  is  omnipotent  he  can't 
save  you  against  your  will.  You 
must  do  as  God  tells  you.  If  the 
doctor  should  give  you  a  prescription 
and  you  should  not  use  it,  but  should 
take  some  stuff  of  your  own,  you 
couldn't  blame  the  doctor  if  you 
didn't  get  well.  If  we  could  fix  up 
a  little  scheme  of  salvation  of  our 
own  it  would  please  us,  but  there  is 
only  one  way  to  be  saved,  and  that 
is  God's  way:  What  shall  I  do  to 
be  saved?  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  in  your  heart  and  confess  him 
with  your  mouth,  and  you  will  be 
saved. — "Billy"  Sunday. 

434.  Salvation,  Neglected.  Last 
night,  I  had  a  half-waking  dream, 
and  I  thought  I  stood  out  along  the 
Hudson  River  Railroad  track,  and  I 
saw  a  man  sitting  on  that  track.  I 
went  up  to  him  and  said,  "My 
friend,  don't  you  know  you  are  in 
peril?  The  Chicago  express  will  be 
along  in  a  few  minutes."  I  found  he 
was  deaf,  and  did  not  hear.  I  tried 
to  pull  him  away  from  that  peril, 
and  he  resisted  me  and  said,  "What 
do  you  mean  by  bothering  me?_  I 
am  doing  nothing.  Am  I  disturbing 
you?  I  am  doing  nothing  at  all.  I 
am  just  sitting  here."  At  that  mo- 
ment I  heard  in  the  distance  the 
thunder  of  the  express  train.  A  mo- 
ment afterwards  I  saw  the  headlight 
of  the  locomotive  flash  around  the 
corner.  I  held  fast  the  rocks  that  I 
might  not  be  caught  in  the  rush  of 
the  train.  Like  a  horizontal  thunder- 
bolt it  hurled  past.  When  the  flag- 
man came,  five  minutes  after,  with 
his  lantern,  there  was  not  so  much 
as  a  vestige  left  to  show  that  a  man 
had  perished  there.  What  had  the 
victim  been  doing  there  ?  Nothing  at 
all.  He  was  only  sitting  still— sitting 
still  to  die.  To  lose  heaven,  there  is 
nothing     to     be     done.      Absolutely 


nothing.  Breathe  no  prayer.  Ask 
for  no  counsel.  Fold  your  arms. 
Look  down.  Still !  altogether  still ! 
and  your  destiny  is  decided  and  your 
doom  is  fixed,  and  your  fate  is  but 
a  dismal  echo  of  the  lepers'  lamenta- 
tion, "If  we  sit  still  here,  we  die." 

435.  Salvation,  Offered.  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  issued  the  emancipation 
proclamation  for  all  the  slaves  of 
the  South.  It  granted  freedom  to 
all  regardless  of  individual  circum- 
stances, or  desires  or  deserts.  So 
God's  grace  offers  forgiveness,  sal- 
vation to  all  regardless  of  their  past. 

436.  Salvation,  Sensation  of.    At 

Stonehaven,  when  I  was  a  minister 
there,  I  was  swimming  out  in  the 
clear,  cool  bay,  when  the  water  got 
suddenly  choppy,  and  my  strength 
seemed  suddenly  to  go  from  me.  You 
that  are  swimmers  know  the  sensa- 
tion. Exhausted,  the  waves  flapping 
on  your  face  in  repeated  blows  as  if 
to  stun  you,  and  beat  you  back  to 
the  current  that  was  readv  to  seize 
you.  No  one  in  sight.  Wearily  on 
and  on.  I  had  almost  given  up,  when 
suddenly  there  came  to  my  foot  the 
sensation  of  solidity  amid  the  waves. 
Oh,  what  I  felt  as  I  stood  there  to 
recover  breath,  rescued  from  death ! 
How  solid  the  rock  felt.  How  I 
thanked  God  that  that  rock  had  just 
been  placed  out  in  the  bay  for  me, 
and  that  he  had  taken  my  sinking 
feet  and  fixed  them  there.  That  is 
the  nearest  that  I  can  give  to  the 
sensation  of  the  soul  when  Christ 
lays  hold  of  you,  saves  you,  and  sets 
your  feet  on  the  Rock  of  Ages. — 
Rev.  John  Robertson. 

437.  Salvation,  Soul-hunger  for. 
See  Soul-Hunger  for  Salvation. 

438.  Salvation,  What  It  Is  Not. 

A  great  many  things  are  said  to  be 
salvation  to-day  which  are  not  salva- 
tion. For  example :  Service  is  not 
salvation.  We  are  not  saved  by 
serving  others.  Turning  over  a  new 
leaf  is  not  salvation.  No  man  is 
saved  by  doing  that.  Asserting  one's 
manhood  is  not  salvation.  The  un- 
saved man  has  no  true  manhood  to 
assert.  Right  thinking  is  not  salva- 
tion. That  is  the  New  Thought  sub- 
stitute for  the  Gospel.  Denying  the 
existence  of  sin  is  not  salvation. 
That  is  Christian  Science's  substitute 


102 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


for  the  Gospel.  Denying  self  is  not 
salvation.  The  unsaved  man  cannot 
deny  self.  Even  sacrifice — man's  ut- 
termost sacrifice  in  laying  down  his 
life  for  others — is  not  salvation. 
Perhaps  some  of  these  statements 
may  surprise  or  challenge.  So  much 
the  better.  Make  it  very  plain  why 
none  of  these  things  is  salvation  and 
what  salvation  is.— C.  G.  Trumbull. 

439.  Satisfaction,  in  Christ.  His- 
tory tells  us  that  an  ancient  king 
granted  pardon  to  some  criminals 
under  sentence  of  death,  but  when 
they  applied  for  relief  at  the  palace 
gates  the  king  refused  them,  protest- 
ing: "I  granted  you  life,  but  did  not 
promise  you  bread."  This  is  not  the 
theory  of  the  gospel ;  Christ  not  only 
saves  from  destruction,  but  opens 
to  the  soul  sources  of  rich,  strength- 
ening, and  endless  satisfaction. 

440.  Saved,     by     Service.      See 

Service,  Saved  by. 

441.  Saved,  by  Service.  While  I 
was  in  France  1  was  asked  to  speak 
one  Sunday  afternoon  at  a  camp 
where  a  thousand  American  soldiers 
were  billeted.  The  meetings  were 
in  charge  of  the  soldiers  themselves. 
The  chairman  of  the  soldiers'  com- 
mittee asked  me  what  I  was  going 
to  speak  about.  I  told  him  that  my 
subject  was  the  two  battles,  the  bat- 
tle for  victory  over  our  foe  and  the 
battle   for  victory  over  one's   self. 

When  the  meeting  was  over,  and 
it  was  from  every  standpoint  one  of 
the  best-conducted  meetings  I  ever 
attended,  I  said  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
secretary  in  charge:  "Your  buck  pri- 
vate who  has  charge  of  the  services 
here  is  a  remarkably  efficient  man. 
From  the  questions  he  asked  me  I 
did  not  know  whether  I  was  going 
to  pass  muster  or  not." 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretary  smiled, 
and  said :  "I  hope  you  sized  up  that 
buck  private.  There  is  a  man  who 
found  himself  in  the  universal  shake- 
up  of  war.  One  night  I  got  under 
his  skin,  and  he  told  me  his  story. 
He  is  fifty-two  years  old,  though  he 
swore  that  he  was  only  forty-four 
to  get  into  the  service.  He  used  to 
be  an  evangelist,  and  from  all  I  can 
learn  he  was  an  eloquent  speaker. 
He  lost  his  faith  in  God.  He  told 
me  that  he  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  since  there  was  no  future  life 


he  might  as  well  cut  loose  and  get 
all  he  could  out  of  this  life.  He 
went  in  for  vice,  but  somehow  the 
sordidness  of  it  did  not  appeal  to  him. 
He  tried  drinking,  but  after  a 
drunken  debauch  he  found  himself 
possessed  of  a  raging  headache  and 
a  feeling  of  regret  and  disgust.  He 
took  poison ;  but  he  took  too  much, 
and  it  failed  to  do  the  work. 

'When  our  country  entered  war, 
he  decided  that  the  best  way  to  com- 
mit suicide  was  to  enlist,  and  on 
every  occasion  volunteer  for  danger- 
ous service.  When  he  got  to  France, 
the  longing  of  his  comrades  for  the 
old  home  ties  and  for  the  home  land 
was  too  much  for  him ;  and  so  he 
began  talking  to  them.  In  serving 
others  he  forgot  himself.  Before  he 
knew  it  he  was  getting  up  entertain- 
ments for  the  boys.  The  next  thing 
he  knew  he  was  conducting  religious 
services,  and  became  chairman  of 
the  committee  to  secure  speakers  for 
Sunday  services. 

"When  he  talked  to  me,  he  said  he 
could  not  explain  it,  but  something 
inside  of  him  seemed  to  be  burned 
out,  and  he  realized  that  in  serving 
his  fellow  men  he  was  serving  him 
who  had  given  his  life  to  save  men. 
He  told  me  also  that,  if  he  lived 
through  the  war,  he  was  going  back 
to  his  work  as  an  evangelist,  because 
he  realized  the  futility  of  living  a 
life  for  self  alone,  and  that,  after 
all,  the  worth-while  things  of  life 
must  be  taken  on  faith.  He  said 
that  just  as  a  wild  duck  born  in  the 
south  flies  north  without  any  knowl- 
edge of  where  it  is  going  except  its 
faith  that  there  is  a  north,  so  a  per- 
son must  with  equal  faith  accept  the 
great  truth  of  immortality  and  the 
future  life." — Fred  Lockley. 

442.    Saved,  by  Trusting  God.    A 

young  man,  distressed  about  his  soul, 
confided  in  a  friend.  The  friend 
said:  "Did  you  ever  learn  to  float?" 
'Yes,  I  did,"  was  the  surprised  re- 
ply. "And  did  you  find  it  easy  to 
learn?"  "Not  at  first,"  he  answered. 
"What  was  the  difficulty?"  his  friend 
pursued.  "Well,  the  fact  was  I  could 
not  lie  still ;  I  could  not  believe  or 
realize  that  the  water  would  hold 
me  up  without  any  effort  of  my 
own,  so  I  always  began  to  struggle, 
and  of  course  down  I  went  at 
once." 
"And  then?"     "Then  I  found  out 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS     103 


that  I  must  give  up  all  the  struggle, 
and  just  rest  on  the  strength  of  the 
water  to  bear  me  up.  It  was  easy 
enough  after  that ;  I  was  able  to  lie 
back  in  the  fullest  confidence  that  I 
should  never  sink."  "And  is  not 
God's  word  more  worthy  of  your 
trust  than  the  changeable  sea?_  He 
does  not  bid  you  wait  for  feelings; 
he  commands  you  to  just  rest  in  him, 
to  believe  his  word,  and  accept  his 
gift." 

443.  Saved   His   Own  Son.     See 

Soul-Winning  in  Earnest. 

444.  Saved,  Joy  of  Being.  Saved 
men  can  know  a  deeper  joy  than 
those  who  do  not  need  to  be  saved. 
Redeemed  sinners  can  know  the  joy 
of  their  Saviour  as  unfallen  angels 
cannot  know  it.  The  supernatural 
light  and  joy  in  the  face  of  a  leper 
who  has  found  Christ  as  Saviour, 
even  while  his  physical  leprosy  con- 
tinues, is  unforgetable.  A  mission- 
ary writing  in  the  Korea  Mission 
Field  of  September,  1921,  of  the  lep- 
ers in  the  mission  compound  at 
Kwangju  Station,  says:  "Never  have 
we  seen  so  joyous  a  lot  of  people  as 
these  lepers.  Like  Moses'  face  their 
faces  shone,  though  they  knew  it  »ot, 
so  great  their  gratitude  and  reverent 
love !  Nor  have  I  ever  seen  so  eager 
and  pitiful  a  company  as  the  group 
of  'shut-outs'  at  the  limit  of  the  leper 
compound,  entreating  to  be  admitted. 
Their  request  is  granted  as  fast  as 
kind  friends  furnish  the  modest 
stipend  adequate  for  the  purpose. 
Recently  a  kindly  couple  from  Seoul 
visited  this  leper  settlement;  as  they 
entered,  five  unfortunates  clamored, 
'Give  us  life !'  and  the  visiting  gen- 
tleman said  to  Dr.  Wilson,  'I  will 
pay  for  their  admittance.'  An  hour 
later  at  departing,  four  new  cases 
had  taken  the  places  of  the  five  ad- 
mitted ones  and  the  wife  said,  'Take 
in  the  four  on  my  account' ;  and,  be- 
fore these  visitors  could  get  well 
away,  between  them  they  had  as- 
sumed the  expense  for  fifteen  ad- 
mitted lepers  who  are  commonly 
welcomed  by  the  Korean  inmates 
with  the  words,  'Come  out  of  your 
hell  into  our  heaven !'  Thus  'the 
lame  take  the  prey.'  " — Sunday  School 
Times. 

445.  Saved,  S.  H.  Hadley.  See 
God,  His  Saving  Power. 


446.  Saving,  by  Reached-out 
Hand.  A  five-year-old  boy,  Ivan 
Lynn  Ashcraft,  whose  home  is  in 
Folsom,  a  little  hamlet  in  Delaware 
County,  Pa.,  is  hailed  as  a  true  hero. 
He  and  his  playmates  were  sport- 
ing about  the  edge  of  a  pond  cov- 
ered with  thin  ice,  when  little  Davy 
Ward,  aged  three,  saw  some  object 
upon  the  ice  which  he  desired,  and 
reached  out  to  get,  and,  losing  his 
balance,  he  fell  and  broke  through 
the  ice.  When  his  older  brother  saw 
it,  he  began  to  cry.  A  larger  boy 
hastened  to  the  rescue,  but  broke  in 
himself,  and  barely  escaped  with  his 
life.  Then  it  was  that  the  little  hero 
with  great  skill  and  caution  crept 
out  to  his  little  friend,  and,  using  his 
own  words,  "When  I  saw  Davy  bob- 
bin' up  and  down  I  jes'  reached  out 
my  hands  and  grabbed  his'n."  Thus 
a  life  was  saved,  and  thus  honor  was 
gained.  We  may  not  all  have  oppor- 
tunity or  ability  to  save  a  boy  from 
drowning  in  a  deep  pool,  but  there 
are  boys  and  girls,  men  and  women, 
perishing  all  about  us,  and  their  go- 
ing down  means  an  eternal  ruin. 
What  is  needed  in  those  who  would 
rescue  is  a  mind  to  appreciate  the 
peril,  a  heart  of  compassion  for  the 
perishing,  and  a  hand  ready  to  reach 
out  and  save.  The  words  of  this 
little  child  tell  it  all:  "When  I  seen 
Davy  bobbin'  up  and  down,  I  jes' 
reached  out  my  hand  and  grabbed 
his'n."  The  saving  hand  is  needed. 
— H. 

447.  Saving  Love  of  God.     See 

God,  His  Love  for  the  Lost. 

448.  Saving  Others,  We  Save 
Ourselves.  Through  Rochester,  N. 
Y.,  runs  the  Genesee  River,  between 
steep  and  rocky  banks.  There  are 
falls  in  the  river  and  dark  recesses. 
One  time  a  gentleman,  who  lived  in 
the  city,  had  just  arrived  on  the  train 
from  a  journey.  He  was  anxious  to 
go  home  and  meet  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren. He  was  hurrying  along  the 
streets  with  a  bright  vision  of  home 
in  his  mind,  when  he  saw  on  the 
bank  of  the  river  a  lot  of  excited 
men.  "What  is  the  matter?"  he 
shouted.  They  replied :  "A  boy  is  in 
the  water."  "Why  don't  you  save 
him?"  he  asked.  In  a  moment, 
throwing  down  his  carpetbag  and 
pulling  off  his  coat,  he  jumped  into 
the   stream,  grasped   the  boy  in  his 


io4 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


arms,  and  struggled  with  him  to  the 
shore,  and  as  he  wiped  the  water 
from  his  dripping  face  and  brushed 
back  the  hair,  he  exclaimed,  "O  God, 
it  is  my  boy !" 

He  plunged  in  for  the  boy  of 
somebody  else  and  saved  his  own. 
So  we  plunge  into  the  waters  of 
Christian  self-denial,  labor,  hardship, 
reproach,  soul-travail,  prayer,  anxious 
entreaty,  willing  to  spend  and  be 
spent,  taking  all  risks  to  save  some 
other  one  from  drowning  in  sin  and 
death,  and  do  not  know  what  a  re- 
flexive wave  of  blessing  will  come 
to  our  souls.  In  seeking  to  save 
others  we  save  ourselves  and  those 
most  dear  to  us,  while  others  too 
selfish  to  labor  to  save  other  people's 
children  often  lose  their  own. 

449.    Saving    Souls,    Never    Give 

Up.  In  a  village  in  one  of  the 
mining  districts  a  kindly  Christian 
woman  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting 
an  old  man  who  was  ill  and  alone. 
He  had  the  reputation  of  being  a 
"surly  swearing  chap,"  and  few  of  the 
neighbors  went  near  him.  Though 
the  good  woman  received  no  thanks 
for  her  attention,  she  continued  to 
try  to  help  the  poor  old  fellow,  and 
always  mentioned  him  in  her  evening 
prayers  with  her  little  boy,  who  be- 
came greatly  interested  in  the  "bad 
man,"  as  he  called  him.  One  night 
after  the  man  had  thrown  back  her 
kind  words  with  cursing  and  swear- 
ing, the  child  noticed  that  the  usual 
prayer  was  not  offered.  "Have  you 
given  him  up,  mother?"  he  asked. 
"Yes,  dear,  I  believe  I  have,"  was  the 
reply.  "Do  you  think  God  has  given 
him  up,  too?"  questioned  the  boy, 
after  a  moment's  thought.  This  view 
of  the  matter  so  impressed  the  mother 
that  she  continued  praying  and  work- 
ing until  she  was  rewarded  by  being 
used  as  the  means  of  the  man's  con- 


450.    Saviour,    a    Seeking.     "The 

Son  of  Man  came  to  seek  and  to 
save  that  which  was  lost."  Luke 
19 :  10.  One  day  as  Jesus  was  pass- 
ing along  a  street  in  Jericho,  a  great 
crowd  swarming  about  him,  a  little 
rich  sinner  wanted  to  see  him.  He 
ran  on  before  and  climbed  into  a 
sycamore  tree,  to  make  sure  of  see- 
ing him  as  he  passed  by.  When 
Jesus  came  to  the  tree,  he  looked  up 
and  saw  him,  and  said,  "Hurry  and 


come  down,  Zacchaeus,  for  I  must 
go  home  with  you."  With  the  Sav- 
iour salvation  came  to  that  house 
that  day. 

Of  course,  it  is  always  so.  The 
little  sinful  tax  collector  was  look- 
ing for  Jesus  that  day,  and  soon 
found  him,  for  Jesus  was  also  look- 
ing for  him.  Whenever  a  sinner  be- 
gins to  hunt  for  Jesus  he  finds  him 
in  just  a  little  while,  for  Jesus  is 
always  looking  for  the  sinner. 

"Hello,  little  stranger!  What's 
the  matter?"  asked  a  wagoner  meet- 
ing a  boy  crying  in  the  road. 

"I'm  lost.  I  can't  find  my  father," 
sobbed  the  child. 

"Is  he  a  big  man,  with  a  long 
white  beard?" 

"Yes,  that's  my  father." 

"It's  all  right,  then,  because  he  is 
looking  for  you.  Keep  right  on, 
and  if  you  don't  find  him  he  will  find 
you."  Of  course  the  lost  was  soon 
found. 

Any  sinner,  no  matter  how  sinful, 
need  not  stay  lost  long.  Just  let  him 
fully  realize  that  he  is  lost  and  go 
to  looking  for  his  Saviour.  He  will 
find  him  quickly,  for  the  Saviour  is 
hunting  for  him. — Rev.  W.  G.  Mar- 
tin. 

451.  Saviour,  a  Seeking.  "Be- 
hold, I  stand  at  the  door,  and  knock ; 
if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open 
the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and 
will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me." 
That  is  a  fine  statement  of  the  Sav- 
iour's attitude  toward  every  one  in 
whose  heart  and  life  the  kingdom  is 
not  set  up.  It  is,  as  the  poet  has 
suggested,  a  "lovely  attitude."  It  is 
his  love  for  lost  men  that  in- 
duces him  to  thus  come  and  ask  for 
admission.  And  though  we  have  re- 
fused to  open  our  hearts  and  lives 
to  his  coming,  he  still  pleads  with  us 
for  our  own  good.  He  stands  and 
knocks !  Some  have  kept  him  out  a 
long  while.  Have  you  or  I?  If  so, 
let  us  continue  this  opposition  no 
longer.  This  is  the  day  of  salvation. 
"To-day  if  ye  will  hear  his  voice, 
harden  not  your  heart." 

452.  Secret   Disciples.     The   boy 

was  expressing  the  opinion  of  many 
older  than  himself  when  he  said  to 
his  mother:  "I  should  like  to  be  just 
such  a  Christian  as  father  is,  for  no 
one  can  tell  whether  he  is  a  Chris- 
tian or  not."    This  father  is  like  the 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS     105 


clock  attached  to  a  certain  church, 
which  possessed  neither  face  nor 
hands,  but  which  was  wound  up  by 
the  sexton  on  Sundays  and  continued 
to  tick  year  after  year,  affording  an 
apt  illustration  of  the  religion  which 
many  are  content  to  possess.  The 
movements  of  the  clock  were  as  reg- 
ular and  accurate  as  anyone  could 
desire,  but,  inasmuch  as  it  kept  the 
time  to  itself,  no  one  was  the  better 
for  its  existence. — C.  H.  Robinson, 
D.D. 

453.  Seek  First  God's  Kingdom. 

At  the  cashier's  desk  of  a  large  store 
there  was  a  notice  that  read  some- 
thing like  this :  "Don't  delay  for  a 
minute  charging  up  goods  that  you 
have  sold.  No  matter  who  is  call- 
ing you,  the  rule  of  the  house  is  to 
enter  the  charge  first.  The  charge 
has  the  right  of  way  here.  In  spite 
of  clerks  or  customers,  or  anybody 
else,  charge  the  goods.  If  the  house 
is  afire,  get  out  quick,  but  charge  the 
goods.  Business  is  business."  Our 
Master's  charge  is  "Seek  first  the 
kingdom."  No  matter  what  else  may 
call  "Seek  first  the  kingdom." — M. 
V.  Wright. 

454.  Seeking  Saviour,  The.  A 
pleasant  incident  is  recorded  of  Gen- 
eral Garibaldi.  One  evening  he  met 
a  Sardinian  shepherd,  who  had  lost 
a  lamb  out  of  his  flock,  and  was  in 
great  distress  because  he  could  not 
find  it.  Garibaldi  became  deeply  in- 
terested in  the  man,  and  proposed  to 
his  staff  that  they  should  scour  the 
mountains  and  help  to  find  the  lost 
lamb.  A  search  was  organized,  lan- 
terns were  brought,  and  these  old  sol- 
diers started  off  full  of  eager  ear- 
nestness to  look  for  the  fugitive. 
The  quest  was  in  vain,  however,  and 
by  and  by  all  the  soldiers  returned 
to  their  quarters.  Next  morning 
Garibaldi's  attendant  found  the  gen- 
eral in  bed  and  fast  asleep  long 
after  his  usual  hour  for  rising.  The 
servant  aroused  him  at  length,  and 
the  general  rubbed  his  eyes  and  then 
took  from  under  his  bed  coverings 
the  lost  lamb,  bidding  the  attendant 
carry  it  to  the  shepherd.  Garibaldi 
had  kept  up  the  quest  through  the 
night  until  he  had  found  the  lamb. 

This  illustration  helps  us  to  under- 
stand how  Jesus  Christ  seeks  lost 
souls  in  this  world  of  sin,  continu- 
ing the  search  long  after  others  have 


given  it  up,  seeking  until  he  finds. — J. 
R.  Miller,  D.D. 


455.    Seeking    Souls. 

or  Salesman. 


See    Clerk 


456.  Self  or  Christ?  Martin 
Luther  used  to  say :  "When  one 
comes  and  knocks  at  the  door  of  the 
heart  and  asks:  'Who  lives  here?'  I 
reply,  'Martin  Luther  used  to,  but  he 
has  moved  out  and  Jesus  Christ  now 
lives  here.' "  There  are  just  two 
tenants  who,  with  unnecessary  per- 
sistence, ask  admittance  to  every 
heart — self  and  Christ.  One  of 
these  occupies  every  heart.  Which 
one  is  in  yours? 

457.  Self,    the    Hindrance.     Two 

Christians  were  visiting  mission  sta- 
tions in  China,  and  from  time  to  time 
one  of  these  men  asked  the  Chinese 
converts  what  in  their  opinion,  was 
the  greatest  barrier  to  the  spread  of 
Christianity  in  China.  Almost  in- 
variably the  answer  that  came  back 
was,  "Ourselves."  These  Chinese 
Christians  saw  true.  Are  we  as  se- 
vere with  ourselves  as  they  were  with 
themselves?  Are  we  ready  to  let 
Christ  do  away  with  the  last  ves- 
tige of  barrier  that  we  are  offering 
to  that  proclamation  of  his  love 
which  he  wants  to  make  through  us 
to  others? 

458.  Shepherd,  the  Seeking.  See 
Bible,  a  Sheep  Book. 

459.  Sight,  Spiritual  Through 
the  Holy  Spirit.  A  little  boy  was 
born  blind.  At  last  an  operation 
was  performed ;  the  light  was  let  in 
slowly.  Then  one  day  his  mother  led 
him  out  of  doors  and  uncovered  his 
eyes,  and  for  the  first  time  he  saw 
the  sky  and  the  earth.  "Mother,"  he 
cried,  "why  did  you  not  tell  me  it  was 
so  beautiful?"  She  burst  into  tears 
as  she  said,  "I  tried  to  tell  you,  dear, 
but  you  could  not  understand  me." 
So  it  is  when  we  try  to  tell  what  is 
in  Christ.  Unless  the  spiritual  sight 
is  opened  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  one 
cannot  understand.  —  The  Sunday 
School  Chronicle. 

460.  Sin,  Abandoned.  When 
Evan  Roberts  was  asked  for  a  special 
message  for  the  Welsh  churches,  he 
replied :  "Abandon  all  known  sin,  re- 
nounce    all     doubtful     indulgences, 


io6 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


promptly  obey  the  Spirit,  and  pub- 
licly confess  Christ."  This  is  what 
the  Ephesian  magicians  did  when 
they  burned  their  books.  Every 
Christian  has  some  sacrifice  to  make, 
some  things  to  be  burned  when  he 
purposes  with  sincerity  of  heart  to 
lead  a  wholly  Christian  life.  Have 
we  made  our  bonfires? 

461.  Sin,  and  Salvation.  Gideon 
Ousely,  who  passed  like  a  flame  of 
holy  fire  through  Ireland  and 
preached  the  Gospel,  tells  us  how  he 
got  his  call.  The  voice  said,  "Gid- 
eon, go  and  preach  the  Gospel." 
"How  can  I  go?"  said  I.  "O  Lord, 
I  cannot  speak,  for  I  am  a  child." 
"Do  you  know  the  disease?"  "Oh, 
yes,  Lord,  I  do."  "And  do  you 
know  the  cure?"  "Indeed  I  do." 
"Go  then  and  tell  them  these  two 
things — the  disease,  and  the  cure. 
All  the  rest  is  nothing  but  talk." 

462.  Sin,  Blotted  Out.  John 
Maynard  was  in  an  old-time  country 
school-house.  Most  of  the  year  he 
had  drifted  carelessly  along,  but  in 
midwinter  some  kind  words  from  his 
teacher  roused  him  to  take  a  new 
start,  and  he  became  distinctly  a  dif- 
ferent boy,  and  made  up  for  the 
earlier  faults.  At  the  closing  ex- 
amination he  passed  well,  to  the  great 
joy  of  his  father  and  mother,  who 
were  present.  But  the  copybooks 
used  through  the  year  were  all  laid 
on  a  table  for  the  visitors  to  look 
at ;  and  John  remembered  that  his 
copybook,  fair  enough  in  its  latter 
pages,  had  been  a  dreary  mass  of 
blots  and  bad  work  before.  He 
watched  his  mother  looking  over 
those  books,  and  his  heart  was  sick. 
But  she  seemed,  to  his  surprise,  quite 
pleased  with  what  she  saw,  and 
called  his  father  to  look  with  her ; 
and  afterward  John  found  that  his 
kind  teacher  had  thoughtfully  torn 
out  all  those  bad,  blotted  leaves,  and 
made  his  copybook  begin  where  he 
started  to  do  better.  To  all  who 
would  forsake  sin  God  offers  a  new 
chance,  and  promises  to  blot  out  all 
old  sin  and  make  the  record  begin 
with  the  new  start. — Rev.  Franklin 
Noble,  D.D. 

463.  Sin,  Christ's  Power  to  For- 
give. "The  Son  of  man  hath  power 
on  earth  to  forgive  sins."  Matt.  9 :  6. 
Mr.  Fred  B.  Smith,  the  Young  Men's 


Christian  Association  worker,  was 
once  speaking  to  a  company  of  men 
in  India.  While  he  was  talking  he 
noticed  one  of  his  Mohammedan 
hearers  who  was  much  interested. 
From  time  to  time  this  man  would 
put  his  fingers  in  his  ears  in  order  to 
shut  out  the  sounds  of  words  which, 
according  to  the  teaching  of  his  re- 
ligion, he  should  not  hear.  But  his 
face  showed  his  longing :  and  some- 
times he  would  forget  to  use  his  fin- 
gers. At  the  end  of  the  talk  he  came 
to  the  speaker.  "I  can  see  yet  the 
look  of  longing  on  his  face,  as  he 
began  to  speak,"  Mr.  Smith  has  said. 
"Do  you  really  believe  Jesus  Christ 
can  forgive  sins  as  you  say,  and  that 
he  can  give  peace  to  those  borne 
down  by  the  burden  of  their  sins?" 
the  man  asked.  "Indeed  I  do  be- 
lieve it,"  was  the  answer;  "he  can 
do  just  what  he  says."  A  moment 
the  Mohammedan  paused,  then  he 
threw  back  his  shoulders,  and  said, 
with  an  air  of  conviction:  "Then  he 
will  conquer  the  world."  And  with 
a  sigh  he  turned  and  left  the  room. 
Let  us  believe  in  his  power  to  for- 
give and,  believing,  yield  ourselves  in 
submission. — H. 

464.  Sin,     Detected.      "Be     sure 

your  sin  will  find  you  out."  Three 
young  men  in  a  store  had  been 
watched  by  a  detective,  and  as  they 
left  the  store  the  detective  accosted 
them.  One  of  them  indignantly  de- 
nied that  he  or  his  companions  had 
taken  anything.  In  the  midst  of  his 
denial  a  stolen  alarm  clock  in  his 
pocket  went  off ;  and  the  police  pa- 
trol wagon  was  summoned. — Sunday 
School  Times. 

465.  Sin,  Escaping.  See  Christ, 
His  Blood  Cleansing. 

466.  Sin,  Its  Seriousness.  Says  a 
writer  in  "Record  of  Christian 
Wprk" :  "When  I  was  a  pastor  in 
Chicago  a  father  had  sent  for  a 
great  physician  from  Austria.  The 
papers  said  that  his  fee  was  $20,000 
beside  all  his  expenses.  He  came  to 
do  something  for  the  little  daughter 
of  the  rich  man.  I  don't  know  what 
was  the  matter  with  the  child,  but 
it  was  something  serious  because  of 
what  the  father  did  about  it.  What 
is  sin?  I  don't  know,  but  I  know  it 
is  very  serious  from  what  the  Fa- 
ther did  about  it." 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS    107 


467.  Sin,  Overcome.  I  was  in- 
terested in  the  bold  heading  of  an 
article  in  a  magazine  entitled  "Tak- 
ing Sin  Out  of  Business."  The  three 
letters  "sin"  in  the  middle  of  "busi- 
ness" are  underlined  heavily.  I  have 
been  such  a  dullard  heretofore  that, 
until  I  saw  these  three  letters  under- 
lined, I  never  realized  that  the  word 
"sin"  occurs  in  the  middle  of  "busi- 
ness." The  great  need  of  America 
is,  as  far  as  possible,  to  take  the  sin 
out  of  business. — Rev.  Benjamin 
Cox. 

468.  Sin,  Reaction  of.  "Be  sure 
your  sin  will  find  you  out."  The 
Fanners  and  Merchants  Bank  of 
Utica,  Mich.,  has  found  a  way  of 
putting  mustard  gas  to  peace-time 
use.  Tubes  of  it  were  placed  in  the 
vault,  and  when  robbers  blew  open 
the  safe  the  fumes  forced  them  to 
flee  so  hastily  they  left  eighty-five 
cents  of  their  own  cash  and  a  large 
kit  of  burglar  tools.  Suppose  all 
sin  reacted  upon  us  as  obviously  as 
that ! — Christian  Herald. 

469.  Sin,  Secret.  In  the  quad- 
rangle of  Leland  Stanford  University, 
near  San  Francisco,  there  stood  a 
magnificent  memorial  arch,  built  so 
largely,  solidly,  and  splendidly  that 
it  seemed  as  if  it  would  stand  for- 
ever. But  when  the  earthquake 
came  the  great  arch  collapsed  in 
ruin.  Its  foundations  were  disclosed, 
and  then  the  truth  was  seen.  In- 
stead of  being  of  solid  stone,  as  they 
should  have  been,  the  builder  had 
put  in  chips  and  rubble.  The  Leland 
Stanford  Arch  is  a  type  of  many 
lives  which  seem  successful  for  a 
while,  and  then  suddenly  collapse. 
The  secret  sin  comes  to  light ;  the 
foundation's  rottenness  is  disclosed; 
the  whole  structure  falls  in  wreck. 

Build  on  Christ.  Built  on  Christ 
your  life-structure  will  stand.  Build 
not  of  wood,  hay,  stubble,  but  of 
gold,  silver,  precious  stones.  Then 
your  character  will  not  collapse.  You 
will  not  lose  your  reward. — H. 

470.  Sin,  Sorrow  for.  I  sat  in 
a  home  a  few  days  ago  playing  with 
a  boy  of  ten.  His  face  was  bright 
as  the  sun.  He  looked  as  happy  as 
any  child  in  the  home,  calling  me 
"Uncle."  Presently  his  mother  had 
missed  something,  and  she  came  in 
and  said,  "Jack,  have  you  taken  so- 


and-so?"  His  head  dropped.  "Jack, 
have  you  taken  so-and-so?"  No  an- 
swer. "Jack,"  and  she  came  and  put 
her  hand  on  his  shoulder,  "did  you 
take — "  "Yes,  mother,"  and  he  be- 
gan to  cry.  Oh,  he  was  sorry;  he 
did  look  sorry;  he  sobbed  as  though 
his  heart  would  break.  What  for? 
He  was  just  as  guilty  five  minutes 
before,  and  he  knew  he  was.  What 
made  him  sorry?  Sorry  that  he  had 
sinned  against  his  mother?  No. 
Sorry  that  he  had  sinned  against 
God?  No.  Well,  what  was  his  sor- 
row? He  was  sorry  because  he  was 
found  out.  And  there  are  multitudes 
of  professing  Christians  whose  reli- 
gious sorrow  is  no  deeper.  That  is  the 
sorrow  that  worketh  death.  There  is 
a  godly  sorrow — sorrow  because  I 
have  sinned  against  God.  "Against 
Thee,  Thee  only,  have  I  sinned,  and 
done  this  evil  in  Thy  sight.  .  .  .  For 
thou  desirest  truth  in  the  hidden 
parts,  honesty  where  no  eye  but 
Thine  can  see,  transparency  where  no 
light  but  Thine  can  penetrate." 
There  is  a  sorrow  that  means  death. 
There  is  a  sorrow  for  sin  that  work- 
eth life.  Which  is  yours? — Gipsy 
Smith. 

471.  Sin,  Wages  of.  Seemingly 
high  wages  may  shrink  into  insignifi- 
cance when  they  are  investigated. 
Satan's  inducements  to  work  for  him 
are  usually  accompanied  by  an  offer 
of  wages  that  seem  at  first  worth 
while.  But  take  a  second  look.  A 
striking  incident  of  the  war  comes 
out  in  a  news  item  published  by  the 
New  York  World,  giving  an  inter- 
view with  Venizelos,  Prime  Minister 
of  Greece.  He  told  of  a  conversa- 
tion he  had  had  at  the  beginning 
of  the  war  with  the  German  Minis- 
ter at  Athens.  Germany  offered 
Greece  "very  great  and  substantial 
benefits"  if  she  would  remain  neu- 
tral, not  going  to  the  assistance  of 
her  ally,  Serbia.  "Germany  will  give 
you  Monastir,  and  as  much  more  of 
Serbia  as  you  want,"  said  the  Ger- 
man. Then  answered  Venizelos : 
"You  will  allow  me  to  translate  your 
offer  into  my  own  words.  What  you 
do  is  this :  You  ask  me  to  dishonor 
my  signature,  to  dishonor  my  coun- 
try, and  to  violate  its  obligations  to- 
ward Serbia,  and  as  remuneration 
you  offer  me  a  part  of  the  corpse  of 
that  which  I  am  expected  to  kill." 
And,  with  fine  satire,  Venizelos  coil'- 


io8 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


eluded,  "My  country  is  too  little  to 
commit  so  great  an  infamy."  As 
wages,  part  of  the  corpse !  It  re- 
minds us  of  what  God  says  of  Satan's 
invariable  wages :  "For  the  wages  of 
sin  is  death."  God's  free  gift,  given 
outright  because  we  can  never  earn 
it,  is  better, — eternal  life  in  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord.  —  Sunday-School 
Times. 

472.  Sin,  Way  of  Hard.  "The 
wages  of  sin  is  death,  but  the  gift 
of  God  is  eternal  life,  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord."  Rom.  6 :  23.  The 
Christian  Way  is  the  way  of  eternal 
life.  Any  other  way  is  the  way  of 
the  transgressor,  and  "the  way  of  the 
transgressor  is  hard."  Over  in  the 
Tombs  in  New  York  there  is  a  pas- 
sageway leading  from  the  courtroom 
into  the  penitentiary.  In  one  place 
in  the  courtroom  are  the  words  in 
iron  letters,  "The  way  of  the  trans- 
gressor is  hard."  Over  the  entrance 
to  the  passageway  are  these  words : 
"A  Bridge  of  Sighs."  A  court  offi- 
cer when  asked  why  it  was  called 
"A  Bridge  of  Sighs"  said :  "Well, 
most  of  those  who  go  to  jail  this 
way  are  young  people.  When  they 
get  to  this  place,  they  begin  to  real- 
ize at  last  that  they  have  made  a 
hard  fate  for  themselves,  and  most 
of  them  break  down  and  weep  bit- 
terly. The  passageway  is  well 
named.  The  life  of  the  violator  of 
law  is  a  dreadful  one."  Yes,  for  a 
man  must  reap  what  he  sows.  How 
much  better  to  be  in  the  way  of 
salvation.  This  is  God's  way,  and 
his  paths  are  the  ways  of  "pleasant- 
ness and  peace." — Dr.  E.   F.  Wiest. 

473.  Sinner,     a     Sleeping.       A 

French  boy  made  his  servant  wake 
him  every  morning  with  the  cry, 
"Rise,  Monsieur  le  Comte,  you  have 
great  things  to  do  to-day !"  Christ 
comes  to  the  sleeping  sinner,  with 
his  offer  of  salvation,  calling:  "Young 
man,  I  say  unto  thee  arise !" 

474.  Sinner,     God's     Love     for. 

Gipsy  Smith  tells  a  story  of  the  way 
in  which  he  once  quieted  a  riotous 
meeting.  The  socialists  and  agnos- 
tics of  the  town  would  not  give  him 
a  hearing,  but  shouted  for  a  consid- 
erable time  at  the  top  of  their  voices. 
When  the  din  subsided  for  a  mo- 
ment, the  preacher  picked  out  an 
old  man  sitting  in  the  front  seat  who 


seemed  to  be  the  ringleader.  "Have 
you  any  children?"  the  missioner 
asked.  "Yes,  guv'ner,  I  have." 
"How  many?"  "Three."  "How 
many  boys?"  "Two  and  a  girl." 
"What  is  the  oldest?"  "A  boy." 
"Is  he  a  good  lad?"  "No,  guv'ner, 
I  can't  say  that  he  is ;  he  gives  me 
lots  of  trouble.  I  think  sometimes 
that  he  will  break  my  heart."  "Do 
you  love  him?"  "Aye,  that  I  do. 
I  sometimes  think  that  I  love  him 
most  of  all."  "Well,"  said  the  mis- 
sioner, "don't  be  surprised  if  God 
loves  us  in  this  world  more  than 
any  other  beings  in  the  universe,  just 
because  we  have  given  him  so  much 
trouble." 

475.  Sinners  Saved,  What  Kind? 
The  church  of  which  Mr.  Samuel 
Colgate  was  a  member  entered  into 
an  agreement  to  make  special  prayer 
for  the  conversion  of  sinners.  For 
some  days  they  prayed  earnestly. 
One  day  applicants  for  church  mem- 
bership were  invited  to  present  them- 
selves. A  woman  came  forward. 
Heart-broken,  she  told  her  story  of 
what  a  sinner  she  had  been,  and 
how  God  had  forgiven  her  for 
Christ's  sake,  and  she  wished  to  slip 
into  a  corner  of  the  church  and  have 
the  fellowship  of  God's  people  as 
she  made  the  start  for  heaven.  The 
silence  was  oppressive.  Then  a  mem- 
ber arose  and  moved  that  action  on 
the  application  be  postponed.  Mr. 
Colgate  arose  and  said  in  substance : 
"I  guess  we  made  a  blunder  when 
we  asked  the  Lord  to  save  sinners. 
We  did  not  specify  what  kind.  I 
think  we  had  better  all  ask  God  to 
forgive  us  for  not  specifying  what 
kind  of  sinners  we  want  saved.  He 
probably  did  not  understand  what 
we  wanted."  They  all  saw  the  point. 
The  woman  was  received  into  fellow- 
ship. 

476.  Soul,  a  Neglected.    I  had  in 

one  of  my  churches  a  very  lovely 
lady,  past  middle  age.  She  was  al- 
ways in  demand  for  leadership  in  all 
kinds  of  work  among  the  poor,  and 
in  all  those  practical  every-day  af- 
fairs that  belong  to  the  temporal 
and  social  life  of  the  congregation. 
I  supposed,  of  course,  that  she  was 
a  member  of  the  church. 

After  I  had  been  in  the  congrega- 
tion for  a  few  months,  my  wife,  who 
had    been    looking    over    the    church 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS     109 


records,   said  to  me  one  day,   "Why 

is  it  that  Mrs.  's  name  is  not  on 

the  church  record?"  I  went  to  look 
for  myself,  and  saw  that  it  was  not 
there.  I  went  back,  and  looked  up 
the  old  records,  thinking  there  might 
be  a  mistake  in  transcribing ;  but  her 
name  was  nowhere  to  be  found.  It 
interested  me  much,  and  I  went 
around  the  block,  and  called  on  one 
of  the  leading  members,  and  on  in- 
quiring found  that,  though  she  had 
been  attending  the  church  for  twenty 
years,  she  had  never  made  any  pub- 
lic confession  of  Christ. 

I  walked  right  on  to  her  home,  and 
after  we  were  seated  in  her  parlor 
I  turned  to  her  and  said,  "Mrs. 
,  I  have  come  here  specially  to- 
day to  ask  you  why  it  is  that  you, 
who  take  so  much  interest  in  the 
church,  and  undoubtedly  have  more 
sympathy  with  it  than  anything  else, 
have  never  made  an  open  confession 
of  Jesus  by  uniting  with  His 
church?" 

For  reply  she  burst  into  tears,  and 
said,  "I  have  been  going  to  this 
church  for  twenty  years,  and  have 
been  on  good  terms  with  all  the  pas- 
tors, and  have  known  nearly  all 
the  members  of  the  congregation; 
and  no  one  ever  asked  me  before 
to  become  a  Christian  or  join  the 
church." 

We  had  a  season  of  prayer,  and, 
as  I  went  away,  with  her  face  beam- 
ing through  her  tears,  she  said :  "I 
thank  God  that  you  came  to-day.  I 
know  now  that  I  shall  be  much  hap- 
pier than  I  have  been."  The  follow- 
ing communion  she  took  her  rightful 
place  as  a  member  of  the  church. — 
Rev.  Dr.  Louis  Albert  Banks. 

477.  Soul,  a  Wandering  Wel- 
comed. A  traveler  tells  how  a  lark 
which  followed  a  ship  for  a  consid- 
erable distance  was  compelled  through 
sheer  weariness  to  alight.  It  was  so 
worn  out  that  it  was  easily  caught. 
The  warmth  of  the  hand,  too,  was 
so  agreeable  that  the  bird  settled 
down  upon  it,  not  in  the  least  afraid. 
This  is  a  touching  picture  of  the  soul 
aroused  by  the  Spirit  of  God  and 
blown  out  of  its  own  reckoning  by 
the  winds  of  conviction.  The  warm 
reception  which  the  weary  bird  re- 
ceived at  the  hands  of  the  passenger 
conveys  but  a  faint  idea  of  that  wel- 
come which  will  greet  the  worn-out, 
sin-sick  souls  who  commit  themselves 


to  the  hands  of  the  Saviour.— C.  H. 
Spurgeon. 

478.  Soul,  Battle  for  a.  In  re- 
ligion there  should  be  no  wavering. 
There  is  an  inward  conflict  concern- 
ing religion  which  must  be  settled 
if  one  would  have  peace  and  be 
strong.  Dr.  John  Hollard  said  there 
are  an  angel  and  an  animal  in  each 
breast.  The  animal  clamors  for  the 
gratification  of  the  desires  of  the 
flesh;  but  the  angel  refuses  to  yield.' 
The  angel  says :  "This  is  not  the  best 
way.  This  is  not  the  high  way. 
There  is  a  better  way."  The  animal 
seizes  the  scepter,  usurps  the  throne, 
and  proclaims  his  superiority  and 
sovereignty.  But  the  angel  strug- 
gles to  disarm  the  tyrant  and  cast 
him  out.  In  some  cases  the  issue 
is  in  favor  of  the  angel  and  in  other 
cases  it  is  in  favor  of  the  animal. 
It  is  the  old  battle  between  Jehovah 
and  Baal,  between  God  and  mam- 
mon, between  Christ  and  the  world, 
between  the  flesh  and  the  Spirit. 
The  apostle  puts  it  in  this  way :  "The 
flesh  lusteth  against  the  Spirit  and 
the    Spirit   against   the    flesh." 

479-    Soul,  Give  It  a  Chance.    "I 

made  up  my  mind  that  I  would  give 
my  soul  a  chance  to  be  saved."  I 
shall  never  forget  these  words  as 
they  fell  from  the  lips  of  a  young 
lady,  as  she  turned  to  me  with  a 
smile  when  I  took  my  seat  beside 
her  in  the  inquiry  meeting  during  the 
great  revival  in  Paducah,  Ky.  It 
was  the  first  night  we  held  an  in- 
quiry meeting.  I  had  asked  all  who 
were  interested  about  their  salvation 
to  remain  to  an  after  meeting  for 
personal  conversation.  As  I  sat 
down  beside  her,  she  turned  to  me 
with  a  smile,  and  said,  in  substance: 
"I  do  not  know  whether  I  did  right 
or  not  to  stay  to  this  meeting.  I 
arn  afraid  that  you  will  think  I  am 
acting  a  hypocrite.  I  do  not  feel  any 
special  interest  on  the  subject  of  re- 
ligion, but  when  I  heard  that  these 
special  services  were  to  be  held,  I 
made  up  my  mind  that  I  would  give 
my  soul  a  chance  to  be  saved ;  and 
I  determined  to  attend  every  meeting. 
So  when  I  heard  this  meeting  an- 
nounced, I  remained." 

Before  the  meeting  closed  this 
young  lady  became  one  of  the  hap- 
piest Christians  I  ever  knew.  How 
often   since,  as  I  have  looked  uoon. 


no 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


the  multitudes  of  men  and  women 
who  never  read  the  Bible,  who  never 
go  to  hear  the  gospel,  who  will  not 
enter  the  church,  who  will  use  no 
means  to  seek  for  the  light  or  truth, 
have  I  thought  of  those  words :  "I 
made  up  my  mind  that  I  would  give 
my  soul  a  chance  to  be  saved."  How 
many  people  are  lost  because  they 
will  not  give  their  souls  a  chance 
to  be  saved !  You  cannot  get  them 
to  even  listen  to  the  gospel. 

Friend,  give  your  soul  a  chance. 
Come  to  the  house  of  God  and  hear 
the  story  of  Christ's  love  for  you. — 
W.  H.  Clagett. 

480.    Soul-Hunger  for  Salvation. 

Human  nature  doesn't  respond  to  the 
thought  of  God's  love  as  once  it  did. 
"You  don't  know,  Mr.  Cowan,"  a 
young  miss  just  home  from  college 
said  to  me,  "how  self-sufficient  peo- 
ple of  culture  and  intellectual  re- 
sources are." 

I  know  how  self-sufficient  they 
think  they  are  until  they  discover 
their  mistake.  I  met  one  of  them 
recently  in  a  farmhouse  by  the  road- 
side, where  her  five-thousand-dollar 
car  was  stranded.  She  was  having 
a  little  lunch  of  a  housewife's  fresh- 
baked  bread  with  a  new  pat  of  butter 
and  a  glass  of  Jersey  milk.  And  I 
overheard  her  saying :  "I  didn't  think 
that  anything  could  taste  so  good  as 
this.  How  perfectly  sweet  and  satis- 
fying it  is !  It  takes  me  back  to  the 
bread  and  butter  my  mother  used  to 
spread  for  me  when  a  little  girl.  I 
had  forgotten  how  good  it  tasted 
until  now.  And  to  think  that  we 
have  to  go  back  to  the  French 
dishes  of  those  tiresome  hotels  and 
cafes !" 

The  psalmist  knew  what  he  was 
talking  about  when  he  cried,  "Re- 
store unto  me  the  joy  of  thy  salva- 
tion." He  was  hungry  for  the  old 
kind  of  bread ;  he  had  been  eating 
"that  which  is  not  bread."  Now  lis- 
ten ;  there  is  a  latent  hunger,  a  po- 
tential craving  in  every  unsaved  soul, 
in  a  great  multitude  of  merely  nomi- 
nal church-members,  for  deep,  abid- 
ing, satisfying  quiet  and  repose  of 
soul  and  strength  of  life  such  as 
Christ  gives.  They  have  only  to  see 
it  in  the  face  in  times  of  affliction 
and  trial,  to  realize  that  there  is 
something  wanting  in  their  lives,  to 
envy  the  one  who  really  has  what 
they  lack,  and  who   shows   it.     Our 


business  is  to  create  a  market   for 
bread. 

Mr.  William  Millar  says:  "In  the 
business  world  a  good  salesman  soon 
learns  to  create  a  demand  for  the 
goods  he  has  to  sell.  In  selling  the 
gospel  to  the  unsaved  we  must  create 
a  desire  for  salvation  and  instill  a 
great  unrest  in  the  soul  of  the  other 
person. — Rev.  John  F.  Cowan,  D.D. 

481.  Soul,  "Is  It  Well  With  Thy 
Soul?"  A  Christian  worker  after 
an  ocean  voyage  told  how  one  beau- 
tiful Sabbath  evening  on  the  Oceanic, 
in  mid-ocean,  a  large  group  of  Welsh- 
men out  on  the  main  deck  sang  the 
great  old  church  hymns.  Many  of 
the  twenty-three  hundred  souls  on 
board  crowded  about  to  listen.  They 
sang:  "Jesus,  Lover  of  My  Soul," 
in  Welsh  and  repeated  it  in  Eng- 
lish. Just  as  they  finished  the  line, 
"Safe  into  the  haven  guide,"  the  cap- 
tain on  the  bridge  tapped  three  bells 
(half  past  nine).  The  watchman  on 
the  first  lookout  repeated  the  three 
taps  loudly  on  his  larger  bell,  and 
then  sent  out  over  the  decks  and  out 
over  the  waves  the  cry,  thrilling  when 
first  heard,  "All's  well !"  Far  up  in 
the  crow's  nest,  nearly  one  hundred 
feet  from  the  deck,  the  watchman  in 
the  second  lookout  caught  it  up  and 
sent  it  out  farther  yet  into  the  ocean 
darkness,  "All's  well !"  One  on  deck, 
thinking  of  eternal  safety,  said  in  a 
moment,  "Wouldn't  it  be  fine  if 
every  soul  on  this  great  liner  could 
from  the  heart  and  for  himself  echo 
it  yet  again,  and  fling  it  up  to  the 
angels  above,  "All's  well !" 

482.  Soul-saving,  Our  Business. 
"I  was  staying  once  in  a  summer 
hotel  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie," 
says  Rev.  Dr.  A.  C.  Dixon.  "It  was 
very  pleasant!  All  that  we  did  was 
to  eat  and  drink  and  sleep  and  take 
walks  and  row  on  the  lake.  Oppo- 
site the  hotel  lay  a  life-saving  sta- 
tion, where  somebody  was  always  on 
the  lookout  for  the  rocket,  and  on 
the  listen  for  the  call  of  distress. 
At  that  life-saving  station  they  also 
ate  and  drank,  but  their  business  in 
life  was  not  eating  and  drinking. 
They  slept,  but  their  business  was 
not  sleeping.  When  they  could  they 
went  for  walks  and  rowed  for  pleas- 
ure on  the  lake,  but  that  was  not 
their  business.  Their  great  business 
was    the    savin*    of    lives    in    peril. 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS     in 


Which  are  we,"  asks  Dr.  Dixon, 
"life-saving  stations,  or  only  just 
summer  hotels?" 

483.  Soul-saving  Work.  See 
Rescue,  The  Work  of. 

484.  Soul,  Trifling  With.  A  spot 
is  pointed  out  at  Niagara  Falls  from 
which  a  father  threw  his  little  girl 
headlong  into  the  seething  torrent, 
without  having  the  slightest  thought 
of  doing  so.  He  took  her  in  his 
arms  and  gave  her  a  playful  swing 
out  over  the  abyss  merely  to  see  if 
it  would  frighten  her.  The  child  in 
a  paroxysm  of  fear  gave  a  sudden 
jerk  and  fell  with  a  shriek  into  the 
great  abyss.  You  say  he  had  no 
business  to  trifle  with  her  in  that  way. 
No  more  have  you  a  right  to  trifle 
with  your  soul  by  swinging  it  out 
in  foolish  indifference  over  the  great 
chasm  of  eternity. 

485.  Soul-winning,  by  a  Friend. 
See  Friend,  Wins  Friend  to  Christ. 

486.  Soul-winning,  by  Persist- 
ence. "He  brought  him  unto 
Jesus."  John  1 :  42.  The  story  is 
told  of  a  rather  timid  young  member 
of  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew, 
that  he  tried  in  vain  to  induce  a 
young  friend  of  his  to  come  to  the 
church  services  and  Bible  class.  He 
used  to  call  for  him  every  Sunday, 
but  it  was  of  no  use.  Finally,  how- 
ever, he  won  him,  and  when  asked 
how  he  did  it,  replied :  "Well,  I  got 
tired  of  calling  on  him  so  often,  so 
at  last  I  decided  to  go  and  board  at 
the  same  house  with  him !" 

487.  Soul-winning,  by  Personal 
Word.  See  Work  for  Souls,  Per- 
sonal. 

488.  Soul-winning,  How  to  Do 
It.  A  missionary  thus  describes 
some  of  the  methods  of  personal 
work  used  by  the  Korean  Christians. 
"Soon  after  my  arrival  I  was  assigned 
to  do  visiting  in  certain  homes,  and 
a  little  book  was  given  me  containing 
the  names  of  each  believer.  On  each 
page  was  a  second  name,  and  when 
I  asked  what  that  meant  I  was  told 
that  that  was  the  name  of  the  unbe- 
lieving woman  for  whom  this  believ- 
ing woman  had  promised  to  work  and 
pray  until  she  became  a  Christian. 
As  soon  as  one  had  become  a  Chris- 


tian her  name  was  transferred  to  an- 
other place,  and  the  first  sister  would 
select  another  for  whom  she  would 
work  and  pray.  Pretty  definite  per- 
sonal work,  don't  you  think?" 

489.  Soul-winning,    Is    Fishing. 

See  Fishing  for  Men. 

490.  Soul-winning,   in   Earnest. 

The  story  is  told  that  one  time  the 
parsonage  of  Epworth,  England, 
burned.  The  minister  thought  all  his 
family  were  safe,  when  one  of  the 
children  appeared  at  a  window  crying 
to  be  saved.  Peasants  made  a  ladder 
of  themselves  by  standing  one  upon 
the  other's  shoulders,  and  the  boy 
came  to  safety  in  this  way.  That 
boy  was  John  Wesley.  Think  of  it 
— a  ladder  to  save  a  boy  for  such  a 
work  as  Wesley  did  in  the  world. 
Probably  those  peasants  enjoyed  tell- 
ing, in  after  years,  how  they  saved 
him.  Now  any  one  who  helps  to  save 
a  soul  for  God  has  had  the  same 
privilege  those  men  had. 

491.  Souls,  Neglected.  A  teacher 
had  among  her  pupils  a  young  man 
of  reckless  habits.  At  length,  when 
she  heard  that  he  was  fast  drifting 
to  ruin,  she  found  courage  to  speak 
to  him.  The  young  man  was  much 
affected  by  her  earnest  appeal,  in- 
fluenced as  he  knew  she  was  by  love 
for  his  soul.  When  he  had  mas- 
tered his  emotion,  he  said  to  her  in 
tremulous  voice,  "Had  any  one  ever 
before  spoken  to  me  as  you  have 
to-night,  I  might  have  been  a  Chris- 
tian long  ago;  but  no  one  has 
thought  me  worth  saving."  Let  us 
beware  of  the  neglect  of  souls. 

492.  Souls,  Winning. 

"Earth's     richest     gems    are    gaudy 

trash. 
And  honor's  glittering  stars  are  dim, 

And  fame's  rewards  are  valueless 
Beside  the  jewels  which  will  flash 

Forever  in  the  crown  of  him 
Who  wins  a  soul  to  righteousness." 

493.  Starvation,  Spiritual.  See 
Pearls   Not    Bread. 

494.  Stenographer,  Doing  Per- 
sonal Work.  In  an  Eastern  city, 
while  waiting  to  see  a  man  in  his 
office  one  afternoon,  his  stenographer 
came   into   the    room    several   times- 


1  i 


112 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


Finally  the  impulse  came  to  me  to 
speak  to  her  about  doing  personal 
work.  To  my  surprise  she  was 
greatly  interested,  so  I  gave  her  a 
pamphlet  telling  how  to  begin  and 
what  is  God's  purpose  in  soul-win- 
ning. The  next  morning  I  called  the 
office  on  the  phone  and  the  young 
woman  answered  with  the  remark : 
"The  book  you  gave  me  last  night 
has  made  me  think  seriously  and 
realize  that  I  have  been  backsliding. 
But  I  have  decided  to  begin  over 
again  to  try  to  win  souls." 

When  in  the  same  city  a  short  time 
since,  I  called  at  this  man's  office 
again,  and  there  learned  from  this 
child  of  God  that  she  had  indeed 
begun  to  live  the  surrendered  life. 
I  learn  from  correspondence  of  the 
souls  she  is  leading  to  Christ,  and 
of  her  growing  desire  to  win  many 
from  the  path  of  sin  and  indiffer- 
ence. That  ten-minute  conversation 
on  personal  work  has  set  one  soul 
on  fire  for  God,  and  the  icy  indif- 
ference of  other  hearts  is  melting 
in  the  glow  of  this  one's  love  and 
enthusiasm. — Rev.  J.  Wilbur  Chap- 
man., D.D. 

495.  Step,  the  First.  The  Arabs 
have  a  proverb,  "Over  the  doorstep 
is  half  the  journey."  What  do  you 
think  of  that  proverb  as  applied  to 
the  beginnings  in  discipleship  of 
Christ?  Does  the  proverb  apply  in 
the  journey  of  the  Christian  life? 
What  detail  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Christian  life  would  you  call  "over 
the  doorstep"? 

496.  Strategy,  Get  Them  Young. 
A  revival  church  looks  after  its  chil- 
dren and  young  people  carefully, 
leads  them  to  Christ,  trains  them  for 
service,  and  gives  them  something 
definite  to  do. 

497.  Strategy,  Wins  a  Boy.     A 

speaker  at  a  Sunday-school  conven- 
tion was  the  guest  of  an  old  school- 
mate whom  she  had  not  seen  for 
years.  As  she  entered  the  home  her 
hostess  said :  "I  have  been  hoping 
and  praying  that  you  might  show 
me  how  to  reach  my  boy's  heart. 
He  ought  to  be  a  Christian,  and  he 
is  not.  When  he  was  younger  I 
could  talk  to  him  of  these  things, 
but  he  will  not  listen  to  me  now." 

A  little  later  the  boy  came  home 
from   school.     For  a   few   moments 


after  he  was  introduced  to  the  guest 
there  was  an  embarrassed  silence. 
Presently  he  blurted  out:  "Say,  Mrs. 
R.,  do  you  know  anything  about 
pigeons?" 

"No,  Joe,"  she  said,  "I  don't  know 
much  about  them,  but  I  would  like 
to  know." 

"Well,"  said  the  boy,  "Im  just  the 
fellow  that  can  tell  you."  "But,"  he 
added,  "J  could  do  better  if  you 
would  go  out  to  the  barn  where  they 
are." 

As  they  passed  through  the  dining- 
room  the  mother  said :  "Is  that  boy 
dragging  you  out  to  see  those 
pigeons?  Don't  go  into  that  dirty 
place !" 

"But  I  want  to  see  them,"  said 
Mrs.  R.,  "and  Joe  is  going  to  tell 
me  about  them." 

As  the  pigeons  were  discussed  it 
presently  developed  that  there  was 
only  one  pair  of  the  choicest  kind. 
Joe  and  a  boy  friend  were  joint 
owners  of  the  flock,  and  they  about 
to  dissolve  partnership.  As  neither 
wished  to  separate  this  pair  and 
neither  was  willing  to  relinquish  them 
to  the  other,  the  matter  of  an  equita- 
ble division  offered  some  difficulties. 

"I  tell  you,"  said  Joe,  "I  don't  see 
what  we  are  going  to  do  about  that 
pair   of  tumblers." 

"Joe,"  said  Mrs.  R.,  "what  do  you 
think  a  Christian  boy  would  do?" 

"I  don't  suppose  I  am  a  Christian," 
he    said. 

A  very  few  words  finished  the 
conversation  and  left  the  boy  think- 
ing. 

Each  day  that  Mrs.  R.  spent  in 
the  home  she  had  a  talk  with  Joe 
about  being  a  Christian,  but  every 
time  the  subject  was  introduced  by 
the  pigeons.  When  the  visit  ended, 
the  mother  said,  as  she  wept  with 
her  head  on  her  friend's  shoulder: 
"You  have  taught  me  the  lesson  that 
I  needed  to  learn.  I  think  that  my 
boy  was  more  interested  in  pigeons 
than  in  anything  else  in  the  world. 
Because  they  bored  me  I  lost  every 
opportunity  that  I  had  been  looking 
and  longing  for." 

A  strong  interest  is  an  open  door- 
way to  the  child's  mind  and  heart. 
Can  a  parent  afford  to  be  bored  by 
that  which  interests  the  child? 

498.  Struggle,  Give  up.  Christ 
reserves  his  hand  for  a  dead  lift. 
A  man   in  London   saved  28  people 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS    113 


from  drowning.  He  was  asked  how, 
and  said :  "I  can  swim  well.  I  plunge 
in  and  wait  until  they  grow  too  weak 
to  struggle,  and  then  I  seize  them." 
Christ  can  save  only  when  we  no 
longer  struggle  to  save  ourselves,  but 
let  him  do  all. 

499.  Subdued  to  Save.  See  Con- 
quering to  Save. 

500.  Sunday  School,  Opportun- 
ity in.  No  department  of  the 
church  is  so  well  prepared  to  do 
normal,  thorough  evangelism  as  the 
Sunday  school.  It  is  the  kingdom's 
greatest  field  of  evangelistic  oppor- 
tunity and  its  most  successful  har- 
vesting agency.  Where  a  school 
lacks  cultivating  and  harvesting 
power  the  failure  may  be  due  to  want 
of  desire,  but  more  probably  to  lack 
of  definiteness. 

Systematic  evangelism  in  the  Sun- 
day school  calls  for  four  elements : 
Purpose,  preparation,  prayer  and 
plan.  When  these  exist  in  working 
proportion  a  school  will  obtain  the 
end  desired. 

501.  Tact,  Caught  His  Man. 
Rev.  W.  Y.  Fullerton  tells  how,  when 
conducting  a  mission  one  Sunday,  he 
noticed  a  man  in  the  congregation  on 
the  Sunday  morning  in  his  Sunday 
best.  But  in  the  afternoon  that  same 
man  was  there  in  his  working  dress. 
Mr.  Fullerton  went  down  and  spoke 
to  him.  "What  is  the  meaning  of 
this?"  he  said.  "Are  you  going  to 
work?"  "No,"  was  the  reply,  "but 
this  morning  something  was  said  that 
stirred  me  up  to  go  and  seek  my 
brother.  I  knew  he  had  no  Sunday 
clothes,  and  I  knew  he  would  not 
come  if  I  put  on  my  Sunday  clothes, 
so  I  put  on  my  working-day  clothes 
and  I  went  for  him,  and  here  he  is." 

502.  Teaching.  "Did  you  spend 
much  time  in  discussing  how  far 
Cana  was  from  Sychar?"  one  teacher 
said  to  another  as  they  came  from 
the  classroom.  "I  didn't  mention  it," 
was  the  quick  reply.  "I  was  too 
much  taken  up  with  the  thought  of 
how  far  some  of  my  scholars  were 
from   Christ." 

503.  Testimony,  a  Living.  An 
automobile  bears  upon  its  hub  the 
name  of  the  firm  that  made  it. 
Wherever  the  automobile  goes'  it  car- 


ries the  reputation  of  its  maker.  It 
does  not  need  to  talk;  every  mile 
it  makes  writes  a  new  advertisement 
a  mile  long.  So  as  soon  as  a  man 
takes  upon  him  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  every  good  deed  he  does  is 
an  advertisement  of  Jesus  Christ, 
whether  he  says  anything  about  re- 
ligion or  not. 

504.  Testimony,  for  Christ.  The 
Rev.  Joseph  W.  Kemp,  in  a  sermon 
at  Toronto,  May  20,  1917,  told  of  a 
letter  received  from  a  friend  engaged 
in  nursing  wounded  soldiers  in  which 
the  case  of  a  young  man  was  re- 
vealed who  was  told  by  the  surgeons 
one  day  that  an  operation  would  be 
necessary  in  order  to  save  his  life; 
and  so  serious  was  the  operation  that 
in  its  performance  his  power  of 
speech  would  be  completely  de- 
stroyed. The  young  man  resigned 
himself  to  the  sad  news,  and  then 
requested  permission  to  use  his  voice 
once  more.  The  request  was  granted, 
and  stepping  out  into  the  middle  of 
the  hospital  ward,  his  voice,  which 
had  often  been  used  in  the  Saviour's 
service  before,  rang  out  his  last  song: 

"Rock  of  Ages !  cleft  for  me, 
Let   me  hide   myself   in    Thee! 
Let  the  water  and  the  blood, 
From     Thy     wounded     side     which 

flowed, 
Be  of  sin  the  double  cure — 
Cleanse  me  from  its  guilt  and  power." 

505.  Testimony,  Revival  of 
Needed.  A  boy  six  years  of  age 
who  had  been  deprived  of  the  power 
of  speech  from  birth  was  submitted 
to  an  operation,  and  surprised  his 
nurses  by  requesting  a  glass  of 
water,  thus  proving  that  the  attempt 
to  give  him  his  missing  faculty  had 
been  successful.  A  previous  exami- 
nation had  revealed  the  fact  that  the 
parietal  bone  was  pressing  upon  the 
vocal  centers  of  his  brain.  The  sur- 
geons decided  that  an  operation  on 
the  bone,  which  would  relax  this 
pressure,  might  work  the  desired  re- 
sult. They  were  naturally  delighted 
with  the  outcome. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
through  the  faculty  of  hearing  this 
boy  had  acquired  an  intellectual  ap- 
prehension of  the  forms  of  speech 
and  needed  only  the  removal  of  the 
retarding  cause  to  enable  him  to  utter 
his  wants   in  intelligible  language. 


ii4 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


There  is  a  parable  here  for  Chris- 
tians. Every  disciple  of  our  Lord 
has  a  mental  and  moral  apprehen- 
sion of  the  obligation  of  his  fellow- 
ship with  Christ.  How  many  there 
are,  alas,  whose  power  to  express 
their  convictions  appears  to  be  be- 
numbed or  neutralized.  The  conver- 
sion of  the  world  to  Christ  depends 
not  wholly  or  chiefly  upon  the  or- 
dained minister,  but  upon  the  con- 
tinuous witness  given  by  those  who 
are  saved  through  divine  grace  and 
the  power  of  faith  in  Christ  to  trans- 
form character  and  beautify  human 
life. 

The  spirit  of  evangelism  which  ani- 
mates thousands  of  Christians  who 
never  testify  to  their  confidence  de- 
mands vocalization.  The  unanimous 
audible  expression  of  devotion  to  our 
Lord  on  the  part  of  church  members 
would  create  an  instant  revolution  by 
turning  millions  of  our  fellows,  whom 
we  ignorantly  suppose  to  be  indif- 
ferent to  religious  interests,  to  the 
consideration  of  that  which  is  eter- 
nally clamoring  for  relief  in  every 
soul  of  man.  Let  there  be  a  revival 
of  Christian  testimony. 

506.  Thief,  Dying  or  Living  One. 

See  Christ,  Robbing. 

507.  Things,    Not    Enough.     A 

mother  who  frequently  left  her  home 
for  a  few  days  at  a  time  used  to 
bring  each  of  the  children  a  little 
gift.  One  day  she  purposely  neg- 
lected the  gifts.  The  little  ones  met 
her  in  the  hall  with  expectant  faces. 
"I  did  not  bring  you  any  presents 
this  time,"  said  the  mother,  "be- 
cause— "  "We  don't  care,  mama, 
dear ;  you  are  the  best  present,"  said 
one  little  one.  Can  we  say  to  Christ, 
"Thou  art  the  best  gift ;  thou  art 
all  in  all  to  me ;  there  is  nothing 
on  earth  I  desire  but  Thee ;  I  would 
rather  have  Thee  than  any  earthly 
gift?" 

508.  Time,   Redeeming  the.     A 

story  is  told  of  a  young  girl  who 
had  been  ill  for  a  fortnight,  and  was 
told  by  the  physician  that  she  could 
not  get  well — more  than  that,  her 
days  on  earth  could  be  counted  on 
the  fingers.  "How  long?"  she  asked, 
softly.  "Probably  about  ten  days." 
She  drew  a  long  breath.  "Do  the 
rest  know?"  The  physician  nodded. 
"Poor  mother,"  she  murmured.  Then 


she  looked  up  with  a  smile.  "I 
thank  you   for  telling   me." 

Her  father  sat  with  her  at  the 
noon  hour.  Her  slender  fingers  nes- 
tled in  his  big,  warm  hand.  "Will 
you  ask  Uncle  Norman  to  come  up 
to  see  me?"  she  said.  "This  evening 
will  be  a  good  time."  The  man's 
face  darkened.  He  and  his  brother 
had  not  spoken  for  five  years. 
"You'd  better  send  a  note."  "I'd 
rather  you'd  take  the  message — 
please."  "All  right,  I'll  tell  him," 
and  the  girl  felt  a  tear  on  her  cheek 
as  he  stooped  to  kiss  her. 

"If  only  I  could  see  them  friends 
before  I  go !"  she  whispered  to  her- 
self. 

Her  longing  was  granted.  At  her 
bedside  the  barrier  of  years  was 
broken  down  and  the  two  were 
brothers    again. 

So  it  went  on  for  all  the  ten  days. 
A  cousin  in  college  who  was  not 
making  the  most  of  himself  was  seen 
and  talked  with  so  tenderly  and  seri- 
ously that  he  gave  her  his  sacred 
promise  to  lead  an  entirely  different 
life.  Other  sweet  deeds  filled  up  the 
days.  Her  life  did  end  as  the  doc- 
tor had  predicted,  but  how  she  had 
redeemed  the  time.  This  little  true 
story  has  earnest  suggestion  for  those 
of  us  who  do  not  certainly  know 
that  we  have  to  die  "in  ten  days." 
The  night  cometh.  What  would  we 
do  if  we  had  but  one  day  left? 
What  would  we — ought  we — might 
we  do  in  it,  before  the  dark  comes? 

509.  Times  for  Revival.  Nothing 
in  the  economies  of  Grace  is  more 
obvious  than  that  God  reveals  him- 
self more  at  certain  times  than  at 
others.  The  prophet  says,  "Seek  ye 
the  Lord  while  he  may  be  found ; 
call  upon  him  while  he  is  near." 

One  time  when  David  was  hard 
pressed  he  inquired  of  the  Lord,  and 
the  Lord  told  him  what  he  should 
do.  And  the  Lord  said :  "When  thou 
hearest  the  sound  of  going  in  the 
mulberry  trees,  then  shalt  thou  be- 
stir thyself."  David  did  as  he  was 
told,  and  the  result  was  that  David 
conquered   his    enemies. 

There  is  an  apt  illustration  of  this 
truth  in  the  electrical  world.  Elec- 
tricians tell  us  about  the  electrical 
potential.  The  potential  is  the  en- 
ergy with  which  free  electricity  man- 
ifests itself.  Now  this  potential  dif- 
fers greatly  at  different  times.    Free 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS     115 


electricity  sometimes  gathers  in  such 
quantities  that  we  have  electrical 
storms.  The  lightning  quivers  in 
every  cloud.  At  times  it  breaks  out 
in  awful  shocks  that  fairly  shake 
the  ground. 

In  winter  the  writer  has  known 
the  electrical  potential  so  high  as  to 
make  the  hair  on  the  head  sparkle 
as  the  hand  was  rubbed  over  it. 

Now  there  is  a  spiritual  potential 
that  differs  greatly  at  different  times. 
When  the  children  of  Israel  marched 
through  the  wilderness  this  potential 
was  high.  It  was  high  in  Egypt,  as 
seen  in  the  plagues ;  it  was  high  at 
the  crossing  of  the  Red  Sea ;  it  was 
manifested  at  Horeb;  it  was  shown 
at  the  Mount.  During  Christ's  so- 
journ on  earth  the  spiritual  poten- 
tial was  always  high.  We  read,  for 
example,  in  Luke  5 :  17,  that  "the 
power  of  the  Lord  was  present  to 
heal  them." 

The  spiritual  potential  was  high 
with  the  apostles. 

The  spiritual  potential  has  been 
high  with  some  evangelists.  The  po- 
tential has  been  high  with  the  Wes- 
leys,  with  Whitefield,  with  Finney, 
with    Moody   and    others. 

It  is  vital  for  Christians  to  study 
this  matter,  and  to  learn  the  condi- 
tions of  the  manifestations  of  God's 
Spirit.  God's  Spirit  manifests  itself 
in  various  ways,  some  of  the  condi- 
tions of  which  are  stated : 

Faith  is  one  condition.  When 
Peter  lost  his  faith  he  began  to  sink. 

Prayer  is  another  condition.  It 
was  after  many  days  of  prayer  on 
the  part  of  the  disciples  that  Pente- 
cost came. 

Consecration  of  the  people  of  God 
is  another  condition.  The  spiritual 
potential  can  be  lessened  and  de- 
stroyed. Sin  is  a  destroyer  of  it. — 
Author  Unknown. 

510.     Tracts,  Use  of.     It  was  in 

the  dining-car  of  a  Pennsylvania 
Pullman  at  the  time  of  the  evening 
meal.  A  business  man,  who  might 
have  been  recognized  as  one  of  the 
officials  of  a  great  corporation,  was 
passing  through  the  door  back  to  his 
car,  when  one  of  the  waiters  eagerly 
ran  after  him  and  stopped  him.  The 
business  man  turned  and  recognized 
the  waiter  who  had  served  him  at 
noon,  and  to  whom  he  had  given  a 
little  tract  that  told  the  story  of  a 
remarkable  conversion. 


The  waiter  explained  that  he  had 
read  the  tract  soon  after  receiving 
it,  and  could  not  get  the  thought  out 
of  his  mind  all  the  afternoon.  He 
felt  that  he  must  see  this  business 
man  again  and  ask  him  what  he 
ought  to  do.  With  the  ground  so 
prepared,  it  did  not  take  this  soul- 
winner  (whose  chief  business  on  all 
his  important  trips  for  his  company 
is  the  King's  Business),  to  point  out 
the  way  of  salvation  to  this  new 
friend,  and  both  went  on  their  way 
rejoicing. 

This  business  man  is  a  master  in 
the  art  of  soul-winning,  and  one  of 
the  chief  means  that  he  uses  in  his 
personal  work  is  carefully  selected 
tracts.  He  never  feels  well  equipped 
on  a  journey  unless  he  is  supplied 
with  a  number  of  these  little  gospel 
messengers. 

511.  Train  Platform,  Riding 
Outside.  See  Church,  Being  In- 
side. 

512.  Transformed     by      Love. 

Professor  Drummond  tells  of  a  young 
girl  whose  character  ripened  into  rare 
loveliness.  Her  friends  watched  her 
with  wonder.  They  could  not  under- 
stand the  secret  of  it.  She  wore 
about  her  neck  a  little  locket,  within 
which  no  one  was  allowed  to  look. 
Once,  however,  when  she  was  very 
ill,  one  of  her  companions  was  per- 
mitted to  open  this  sacred  ornament, 
and  she  saw  there  the  words,  "Whom 
having  not  seen,  I  love."  This  was 
the  secret.  It  was  love  for  the  un- 
seen Christ  that  transfigured  her  life. 
If  we  think  continually  of  the  Christ, 
meditating  upon  him,  thinking  over 
sweet  thoughts  of  him,  and  letting 
his  love  dwell  within  us,  we  shall 
grow  like  him. 

513.  Transgressors,  Have  Hard 
Way.     See  Sin,   Way  of   Hard. 

514.  Trust  Christ  for  Salvation. 
A  man  came  all  the  way  from  Hol- 
land to  see  Mr.  Spurgeon  in  London 
and  to  ask  him  how  he  might  be 
saved.  The  great  preacher  said : 
"Well,  you  have  come  a  long  way 
to  ask  that  question.  You  know  that 
you  are  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ." 

"But    I    cannot    believe    on    Jesus 
Christ,"  the  man   replied. 
"Well,  now,  look  here,"  said  Mr. 


n6 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


Spurgeon,  "I  have  believed  in  him 
a  good  many  years,  and  I  do  trust 
him ;  but  if  you  know  something  or 
other  against  him  I  should  like  to 
know  it,  for  I  do  not  like  to  be 
deceived." 

"No,  sir,  I  do  not  know  anything 
against  him." 

"Why  don't  you  trust  him,  then? 
Could  you  trust  me?" 

"Yes,  I  would  trust  you  with  any- 
thing," said  the  man. 

"And  yet  you  can't  trust  Jesus 
Christ?  Do  you  mean  to  say  that?" 
asked    Mr.    Spurgeon. 

The  man  stood  still  for  a  moment, 
and  then  said :  "Dear  me,  I  can  see 
it  now.  Why,  of  course  I  can  trust 
him.  I  cannot  help  trusting  him ; 
he  is  such  a  blessed  one  that  I  must 
trust  him.  Good-bye,  sir,  I  will  go 
back  home ;   it  is  all  right  now." 

And  why  cannot  you  and  I,  dear 
friend,  trust  Jesus  Christ  heartily 
for  all  that  he  has  promised  us  in 
the  Gospel — forgiveness,  strength, 
guidance,  comfort,  eternal  life? — 
John  Y.  Ewart,  D.D. 

515.  Trust  Christ  Fully  for  Sal- 
vation. A  young  lady  while  cross- 
ing the  ice  f elP  through.  A  gentle- 
man hearing  her  cry,  hastened  to  the 
spot.  He  put  out  both  hands,  say- 
ing: "Clasp  my  hands  tightly,  and  I 
will  save  you." 

She  replied,  "I  cannot  lift  up  both 
hands.  One  rests  upon  the  ice. 
Were  I  to  raise  it,  I  should  surely 
sink." 

He  answered,  "Let  go  your  hold 
upon  the  ice,  trust  me  and  I  will 
save  you.  Were  I  to  take  but  one, 
I   could  not  draw   you   out." 

She  obeyed,  and  he  drew  her  out 
rejoicing. 

So  Christ  waits  to  save  imperilled 
sinners,  but  they  must  give  him  both 
hands  and  trust  him  fully. 

516.  Turning,  to  God.  A  writer 
in  the  Atlantic  Monthly  described  a 
little  person  of  some  three  years  who 
was  insatiably  fond  of  stories.  When 
there  was  no  one  to  tell  them  to  her 
she  made  them-  up  herself.  The 
writer  was  impressed  with  the  in- 
variable ending  of  these  stories, 
which  was  always,  "And  him  went 
home  to  him's  muvver."  "Bears, 
lions,  tigers,  even  elephants  and  croc- 
odiles pass  through  the  most  agitat- 
ing and   unusual  adventures,  but  in 


the  end  they  all  go  home  to  their 
mother."  And  the  writer  adds  that 
this  is  an  astonishing  bit  of  wisdom 
to  be  evolved  by  a  person  of  three. 
The  signs  are  thickening  fast  that 
the  whole  world,  disappointed  with 
its  grand  policies  and  enfeebled  with 
its  philosophers,  is  beginning  to  long 
for  something  like  this.  It  may  be 
a  blow  to  one's  pride,  but  the  greatest 
philosophy  of  life  has  long  since  been 
stated,  "When  he  came  to  himself 
he  said,  I  will  arise  and  go  to  my 
father." 

517.  Unfaithful,   Lament  of. 

"Must  I  go  and  empty-handed 
Must  I  meet  my  Saviour  so? 

Not  one  soul  with  which  to  greet  him, 
Must  I  empty-handed  go?" 

518.  Unresponsive   to    God.     A 

man  cannot  get  these  Divine  bless- 
ings if  he  does  not  want  them.  You 
take  a  hermetically  sealed  bottle  and 
put  it  into  the  sea,  it  may  float  about 
in  mid-ocean  for  a  century,  sur- 
rounded by  a  shoreless  ocean  and 
it  will  be  as  dry  and  empty  inside 
at  the  end  as  it  was  at  the  beginning. 
So  you  and  I  float,  live,  move,  and 
have  our  being  in  that  great  ocean 
of  the  Divine  love  in  Christ,  but  you 
can  cork  up  your  hearts  and  wax 
them  over  with  an  impenetrable 
cover,  through  which  that  grace  does 
not  come.  And  you  do  it,  some  of 
you. — A.  Maclaren,  D.D. 

519.  Voices,  Getting  Our.     See 

Work,  Personal. 

520.  Waiting,  to  Be  Saved. 
Once  when  I  was  convalescing  from 
a  long  illness,  it  was  suggested  that 
for  the  benefit  of  the  change  I  visit 
the  British  Provinces.  The  arrange- 
ments were  all  made  when,  unex- 
pectedly, another  malady  threw  me 
on  my  bed  again.  How  disappoint- 
ing this  was !  For  what  was  I  wait- 
ing longer  in  the  sick  room?  I  soon 
received  a  satisfactory  answer.  Pick- 
ing up  the  newspaper,  I  read  that 
the  steamer  in  which  I  would  have 
sailed  struck  a  reef  on  entering  St. 
John  harbor,  and  almost  instantly 
sunk.  It  may  be  that  in  his  mercy 
God  is  now  holding  back  some  of 
you  from  a  more  disastrous  ship- 
wreck. Before  you  embark  upon  the 
ocean  of  eternity,  he  would  have  you 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS    117 


take  passage  in  the  only  craft  that 
can  furnish  assurance  of  a  safe  voy- 
age, and  bring  you  to  the  desired 
haven.  It  is  this  that  you  may  be 
waiting  for.  Waiting  to  be  saved ! 
— Dr.  J.  M.  Gray. 

521.  Watchfulness,  Duty  of.    A 

recent  writer  describes  the  strange 
alluring  splendor  of  the  beds  of 
anemones  which  cover  the  floors  of 
some  western  seas.  These  gaudy, 
dainty  flowers  appear  like  blossoms 
from  the  garden  of  Paradise,  so  bril- 
liantly colored  are  they.  Yet,  in  fact, 
they  are  cruel,  devouring  monsters, 
for  let  a  poor  fish  only  touch  them, 
and  a  thousand  poisonous  threadlets 
dart  out,  seize  the  victim,  and  in  a 
moment  he  is  consumed  by  the  inno- 
cent-looking blossoms.  So,  under  the 
secret  attractions  of  much  of  our 
social,  commercial  and  religious  life, 
there  are  deadly  snares,  and  destruc- 
tion that  lie  in  wait  for  the  unwary. 
Many  a  fair-looking  friendship,  fes- 
tivity and  recreation  holds  a  peril 
striking  at  the  soul.  We  need  the 
Divine  wisdom  to  preserve  us,  for 
things  are  not  what  they  seem. — 
Rev.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  D.D. 

522.  Water,  of  Life.  A  Bible- 
study  group  of  college  girls  were 
discussing  the  familiar  passage  in 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  were 
asking  why  Christians  are  like  salt. 
All  thought  at  once  of  salt's  pre- 
servative qualities.  Then  a  Chinese 
girl  in  the  group  quietly  suggested, 
"Salt  creates  thirst."  The  truth  went 
home.  As  one  of  the  leaders  after- 
ward said,  "Our  lives  should  be  such 
that  people  would  continually  come 
to  us  and  ask  us  to  explain  our- 
selves." Do  our  lives  create  in  others 
the  thirst  that  only  the  Water  of  Life 
can   satisfy? 

523.  Weakness,  Appealing  to 
Strength.  See  God,  His  Love  and 
Saving  Strength. 

524.  Weakness,  Appealing  to 
Strength.  Preaching  at  Cardiff  on 
how  man's  weakness  appeals  to  God's 
strength,  Rev.  Dr.  A.  C.  Dixon  used 
the  following  striking  illustration. 
"A  friend  of  mine  in  America  was 
very  fond  of  the  chase,  and  lived 
in  a  country  where  the  woods 
abounded  with  wild  deer.  One  morn- 
ing,  as   he   was   walking   across   his 


field,  he  heard  the  sound  of  hounds 
in  the  distance,  and  as  they  ap- 
proached, looking  through  the  cracks 
of  a  high  fence,  he  saw  a  little  fawn, 
very  wearied,  its  tongue  hanging  out, 
and  its  sides  lathered  with  foam. 
The  little  thing  had  just  strength 
enough  to  leap  over  the  fence,  and 
stood  there  for  a  moment,  with  its 
great  liquid  eyes  gazing  about  in  a 
frightened  manner.  When  it  saw  a 
hound  leap  over  the  fence  not  far 
away,  its  first  impulse  seemed  to 
cause  it  to  run  again,  but  instead  of 
running  away,  it  came  and  fell  down 
in  a  heap  at  the  feet  of  my  friend. 
He  said :  "I  stood  there  and  fought 
dogs  for  nearly  half  an  hour.  I  just 
felt  that  all  the  dogs  on  that  county 
could  not  capture  the  little  fawn 
after  its  weakness  had  appealed  to 
my  strength."  God  says,  "Whosoever 
will  may  come."  He  says :  "He  that 
cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  no  wise 
cast  out."  In  our  weakness  and  need 
of  salvation  we  can  never  appeal  to 
God  in  vain. 

525.  Weapon,  the  Soul-Winner's. 

God's  preeminent  method  in  soul- 
winning  is  his  Word.  "You  tell  in- 
teresting stories  when  you  are  trying 
to  win  some  one,  but  I  think  that 
the  Word  of  God  is  the  thing  that 
brings  conviction,  and  you  ought  to 
use  it  more,"  was  a  wife's  loving 
counsel  to  her  husband ;  and  he  dis- 
covered it  to  be  true.  Ralph  C. 
Norton,  who  was  the  Director  of 
Personal  Work  for  the  Chapman- 
Alexander  Missions,  was  talking 
with  some  friends  about  the  su- 
preme work  of  winning  men  one  by 
one,  in  which  God  has  used  him 
wonderfully.  When  they  noticed  the 
almost  exclusive  place  he  gave  to 
the  Bible  in  personal  work,  one  asked 
him :  "What  do  you  do,  Mr.  Norton, 
in  cases  where  the  unsaved  man  does 
not  accept  the  Bible  as  having  any 
authority?"  "Well,  if  I  had  a  fine 
Damascus  sword  with  a  keen  double- 
edged  blade  I  would  not  sheath  it  in 
a  fight  just  because  the  other  man 
said  he  did  not  believe  in  it." — 
Sunday-School  Tunes. 

526.  Will,  Christ  Waiting  One. 
See   Christ  Waiting  Our  Will. 

527.  Will,  The.  It  was  said  by 
a  celebrated  orator  in  the  House  of 
Lords   a  century   ago  that  an   Enc- 


n8 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


lishman's  house  is  his  castle,  that  the 
winds  of  heaven  might  enter  by 
every  window,  that  the  rains  might 
penetrate  through  every  cranny,  but 
that  not  even  the  sovereign  of  the 
land  dare  enter  into  it,  however  hum- 
ble, without  its  owner's  permission. 
God  treats  you  in  the  same  way.  He 
says :  "Willingly  open  your  heart  to 
me,  and  I  will  give  you  every  bless- 
ing but  I  must  be  made  welcome." — 
G.  Warner. 

528.  Winning  a  Brother.  Each 
of  the  first  followers  of  Christ  seems 
to  have  gone  in  search  of  one  who 
was  knit  to  him  by  ties  of  kindred 
and  love.  It  is  a  poor  recommenda- 
tion of  Christ's  Gospel  if  we  only 
tell  it  to  strangers  and  leave  our 
own  loved  ones  in  ignorance  of  it. — 
Rev.  J.  W.  Kemp,  D.D. 

529.  Winning  Soldiers  to  Christ. 
"Ten  o'clock  at  night  is  a  good  time 
to  fish  for  men,  and  I  have  led  about 
thirty  of  the  men  on  night  guard 
duty  to  Christ.  When  it  was  pour- 
ing rain  I  took  them  hot  coffee, 
which  they  much  appreciated.  All 
seasons  of  day  and  night,  of  sum- 
mer and  winter,  are  good  for  seeking 
for  men.  I  led  one  man  to  Christ 
in  an  automobile.  One  boy  was  on 
his  way  to  deliver  an  urgent  tele- 
gram. 'Oh,  I  haven't  got  time,'  he 
said,  and  I  asked w  him  if  he  were 
courting  a  girl  how  long  it  would 
take  her  to  say  yes.  He  saw  the 
point  and  yielded  at  once." — Howard 
A.  Banks. 

530.  Winning  Souls,  by  Per- 
sonal Word.  See,  Decision,  A 
Strong  Man's. 

531.  Winning  Souls,  the  Let's 
Go  Get  Him  Spirit.  "A  few  days 
ago,  I  was  talking  with  an  unhappy, 
mentally  groping  veteran  of  the  A. 
E.  F.,"  says  R.  D.  Henkel.  "He  was 
one  of  the  last  contingent  to  return 
from  overseas ;  'I've  been  away  a 
couple  o'  years,'  he  said,  'and  I  got 
a  kinda  new  perspective.  Before  I 
went  away  I  thought  things  in  this 
old  country  of  ours  were  just  about 
right ;  never  could  be  improved  on. 
But  now  I  get  worried.  I  know  you 
will  say  I  been  over  there  so  long  I 
got  the  European  angle  and  am  just 
copying  them  when  they  sav :  "All 
the  Yankees  think  about  is  money." 


But  ain't  that  pretty  much  right? 
Hit  most  any  of  the  folks  here  at 
home  in  the  pocketbook  and  you  hit 
a  mighty  tender  spot.  What  they 
need  most  is  a  little  more  of  the 
spirit  of  the  boys  who  did  the  job 
in  France :  you  know,  "Hey,  fellows, 
there's  a  buddy  out  there  in  trouble. 
Let's  go  get  him."  And  you  went, 
regardless  of  Jerry.  I  been  in 
churches  since  I  got  back,  morning 
and  evening,  and  I've  heard  some 
good  sermons,  but  not  one  of  them 
showed  me  the  congregation  was  sit- 
tin'  up  listening  for  the  whisper  to 
"Let's  go  get  hi-i."  '  " 

This  boy  was  measuring  the  folks 
at  home  by  the  standards  of  unselfish 
devotion  to  comrades  that  were 
brought  out  on  the  battlefield.  But 
was  he  so  far  wrong?  A  new  sense 
of  responsibility  is  spreading  through 
the  Church  and  through  the  devoted 
members  of  the  Church.  With  awak- 
ened consciousness  of  this  responsi- 
bility is  coming  a  demand  that  it  be 
manfully  shouldered  and  that  each 
member  shall  become  instinct  with 
the  "Let's  go  get  him"  spirit. — H. 

532.  Winning  Souls,  Uncon- 
sciously. See  Influence,  Uncon- 
scious. 

533-  Witness-Bearers.  Spirit- 
filled  Christians  will  never  be  like 
the  rivers  which  flow  to  the  Arctic 
Ocean — frozen  at  the  mouth. 

534.    Witness-bearing,  for  Christ. 

See  Life,  Testifying  to  Christ. 

535-  Witnessing  Against  Christ. 
See  Christians,  Long-Faced  a  Hin- 
drance. 

536.  Witnessing  for  Christ.    See 

Confessing  Christ  at   School. 

537.  Witnessing  for  Christ.    See 

Faith,  Expressing. 

538.  Witnessing  for  Christ.     An 

eminent  jurist  of  New  Jersey,  who 
was  an  unbeliever,  stepped  into  a 
prayer-meeting  room  to  see  a  man 
on  business.  It  was  a  testimony 
service,  and  as  he  waited  a  number 
of  his  neighbors  testified  concerning 
the  reality  of  Christian  experience. 
He  reasoned  "If  these  people  were 
my  witnesses  in  the  courtroom  I 
should  win  the  case.     If  their  testi- 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS    119 


mony  is  reliable  in  other  matters, 
why  not  concerning  spiritual  things?" 
He  rose  and  confessed  his  doubts 
and  asked  for  help.  He  is  now  a 
class  leader  in  that  very  church. 

539.  Witnessing,  for  Christ.  "Ye 
shall  be  my  witnesses."  Acts  1 : 8. 
A  number  of  years  ago,  a  young 
school-girl  in  Birmingham,  England, 
accepted  Christ  in  a  Gospel  meeting. 
The  moment  she  found  the  Saviour 
she  had  a  great  longing  to  win 
others  to  him.  Two  or  three  years 
later,  while  attending  high  school, 
she  sought  to  bring  her  schoolmates 
to  a  knowledge  of  Christ.  Some- 
times she  would  speak  to  a  girl  at 
recess,  and  would  run  upstairs  to 
get  her  Bible  to  show  her  a  passage 
of  Scripture.  When  she  returned, 
the  girl  had  probably  gone,  and  the 
opportunity  was  lost.  She  endeav- 
ored to  quote  verses  from  the  Bible, 
but  found  she  would  make  mistakes. 
Finally  she  decided  to  carry  a  Testa- 
ment always  in  her  pocket,  so  she 
could  show  the  other  girls  the  way 
of  life  right  from  God's  Word,  any- 
where and  at  any  time.  Another 
girl  began  to  do  the  same  thing,  and 
another,  and  another,  and  thus  was 
started  the  Pocket  Testament  League, 
the  young  girl  never  dreaming  that 
God  would  take  her  humble  ef- 
forts and  make  a  mighty  world- 
wide movement. — George  T.  B. 
Davis. 

540.  Witnessing  for  Christ,  Joy 

of.  A  happy,  rollicking,  healthy 
schoolboy  of  sixteen  had  the  right 
idea  of  the  joy  of  witnessing  for 
Christ,  when  he  wrote  to  a  cousin 
just  before  a  summer  reunion  :  "What 
a  responsible  position  we  two  hold 
among  our  cousins !  Just  think,  we 
are  the  only  ones  who  are  Christians 
among  them.  If  they  could  only  be 
made  really  hearty  Christians,  what 
splendid  times  we'd  have  this  sum- 
mer! For,  after  all,  I  don't  know 
of  any  subject  I  am  so  interested  in 
as  Christ." 

541.  Witnessing,  in  a  Hard 
Place.  In  a  South  Coast  town, 
some  years  ago,  a  business  girl  who 
was  having  a  very  hard  time  among 
her  friends  and  suffering  much  per- 
secution for  her  Christian  testimony, 
came  to  a  friend  of  mine  who  was 
holding  a   series   of   special    Sunday 


evening  services  in  a  large  theater. 
She  told  him  she  was  afraid  sne 
must  give  it  all  up.  He  said  to  her, 
"Tell  me,  where  do  we  put  the 
lights?"  She  looked  puzzled  at  his 
question,  so  he  answered  it,  "We  put 
the  lights  in  a  dark  place,"  he  said. 
In  a  moment  she  saw  his  meaning, 
and  realized  God  had  put  her  in  those 
difficult  surroundings  that  she  might 
shine  for  Jesus  in  the  midst  of  dark- 
ness. She  went  back  determined  to 
be  more  courageous  than  ever  in  her 
witness  for  Christ.  A  few  weeks 
later,  after  the  theater  service,  she 
came  to  him  with  a  group  of  other 
girls,  all  radiant  with  joy.  "Oh," 
she  said,  "the  thirteenth  from  our 
business  house  has  decided  for  Christ 
to-night." 

542.  Won  to  Christ  by  a  Word. 
There  are  many  ways  in  which  un- 
converted people  are  led  to  accept 
the  salvation  that  is  offered  through 
Christ.  It  is  a  most  fortunate  thing 
that  God  has  not  decreed  that  only 
in  one  way  will  he  grant  salvation  to 
sinners.  He  makes  use  of  a  large 
number  of  agencies  to  bring  unsaved 
ones  to  himself.  Oftentimes,  just 
a  word  or  two,  spoken  to  an  unsaved 
one  by  some  Christian,  has  been  the 
means  of  turning  him  to  the  Lord. 
Dr.  Augustus  H.  Strong,  widely 
known  as  having  been  for  many 
years  the  president  of  Rochester  The- 
ological Seminary,  has  given  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  the  means  of  his 
conversion :  "One  afternoon  I  was 
standing,  when  the  south  wind  was 
blowing  in  the  month  of  March,  in 
front  of  the  college  chapel,  and  the 
college  bell  was  ringing  for  evening 
prayers.  A  hand  was  laid  upon  my 
shoulder.  I  looked  around  and  saw 
a  man  who,  for  two  years  and  a 
half,  had  sat  next  to  me  in  the  reci- 
tation room.  Evidently  something 
was  agitating  him,  for  the  muscles 
of  his  face  were  twitching,  and  as 
I  looked  into  his  face,  he  said :  'Oh, 
Strong,  I  wish  you  were  a  Chris- 
tian,' and  then  the  bell  stopped  ring- 
ing and  we  both  had  to  rush  in  to 
evening  prayers.  But  that  one  word 
never  left  me  until  I  gave  my  heart 
to  God.  I  have  often  thought  how 
little  a  thing  will  sometimes  turn  the 
whole  current  of  a  man's  life.  For 
me,  that  was  the  parting  of  the  ways, 
that  one  word  was  my  salvation." 
It  was   a   word    fitly   spoken,   and    I 


120 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


believe  that  the  Holy  Spirit  influ- 
enced that  student  to  speak  the 
needed  word  to  young  Strong.  Per- 
haps the  student  had  long  been  think- 
ing that  he  ought  to  say  something 
to  his  classmate  about  his  salvation, 
but  had  not  sufficient  courage  to  do 
so.  It  may  have  cost  him  a  hard 
struggle  to  get  to  the  point  where 
he  could  say  a  few  words.  It  may 
be  that  he  prayed  God  to  give  him 
the  right  opportunity,  and  the  right 
words.  And  how  simple  was  his 
message.  He  just  said:  "Oh,  Strong, 
I  wish  you  were  a  Christian." — Rev. 
C.  H.  Wetherbe. 

543.  Worldliness,  Brings  Not 
Happiness.  See  Christians,  Only 
Half-Hearted. 

544.  Work  for  Christ  Accepted. 
There  is  a  beautiful  story  told  of 
Professor  von  Herkomer,  the  cele- 
brated sculptor  and  painter.  His  fa- 
ther, who  was  himself  a  sculptor, 
lived  to  a  great  age ;  and  in  his  de- 
clining years  the  keen  sight  and 
sensitive  touch,  so  necessary  to  the 
modeling  which  up  to  the  end  of  his 
life  he  delighted  to  do,  departed  to 
a  large  extent  from  him.  The  model- 
ing he  did  in  these  later  years  was, 
of  course,  far  from  reaching  his  ac- 
customed standard. 

After  he  went  to  bed,  however, 
each  night  the  brilliant  son  who  loved 
him  would  go  into  the  studio  where 
the  old  man  had  been  at  work  and, 
taking  his  work  in  hand,  would  cor- 
rect all  its  deficiencies,  giving  it  here 
a  touch  and  there  a  touch,  and  round- 
ing off  its  corners  and  crudities,  as 
he  was  so  well  able  to  do.  Then 
when  the  old  man  came  to  the  studio 
in  the  morning,  the  time  when  his 
failing  eyesight  was  keenest,  he  did 
not  see  the  imperfections  and  was 
happy  in  the  work,  all  unconscious 
that  someone  else  who  loved  him  had 
been  correcting  his  work  and  beauti- 
fying it. 

We  do  not  know  if  the  story  is 
true,  but  we  are  sure  that  is  what 
Jesus  does  for  us  when  we  honestly 
do  our  best  for  him.  He  who  has 
begun  the  work  by  inspiring  us  to 
begin,  will  overrule  its  mistakes  and 
transform  its  poorness  by  his  own 
beautifying  touch  until  it  is  some- 
times of  real  value  to  his  cause  in 
the  world.  Let  us  not  be  afraid  to 
try  to  do  personal  work  for  Christ. 


He  can  use  and  bless  and  perfect  our 
most  imperfect  efforts. — H. 

545.  Work  for  Souls,  Personal. 
On  one  occasion  I  was  holding  a 
series  of  meetings  in  a  certain  city, 
and  up  in  the  gallery  at  my  right, 
night  after  night,  sat  a  gray-haired 
old  man.  He  was  evidently  un- 
der deep  conviction,  but  he  would 
never  rise  when  the  invitation  was 
given. 

One  night  I  pointed  him  out  to  one 
of  the  lady  assistant  ushers,  and  said 
to  her,  "To-morrow  night  I  want 
you  to  sit  near  him,  and  when  the 
invitation  is  given,  ask  him  to  rise." 
She  protested,  and  declared  that  she 
could  never  do  it,  but  I  insisted,  and 
the  next  night  she  took  a  seat  just 
behind  him. 

When  the  invitation  was  given,  he 
sat  as  before,  unmoved.  Presently 
I  saw  the  lady  lean  forward  and  say 
something  to  him ;  in  a  moment  more 
the  old  man  rose  to  his  feet  for 
prayer,  gave  himself  to  Christ,  and 
became  a  devoted  follower  of  the 
Lord. — Dr.  Ottman. 

546.  Work,  Personal.  Eighty- 
five  per  cent,  of  the  business  in  the 
commercial  world  is  done  by  per- 
sonal solicitation.  Successful  busi- 
ness men  have  discovered  that  they 
cannot  sit  idly  by  and  wait  for  busi- 
ness to  come  to  them.  They  must 
go  after  the  business.  No  method 
has  yet  been  devised  that  will  take 
the  place  of  personal  solicitation  in 
commercial  lines.  The  Church  should 
be  as  wise  in  this  matter  as  are  the 
men  of  the  world.  Men  are  won  into 
the  Kingdom  of  God  by  personal 
solicitation  and  manifestation  of  per- 
sonal interest.  If  the  Church  forgets 
or  overlooks  this  fact,  she  will  find 
herself  coming  short  of  that  success 
which  her  Master  desires  and  her 
mission  should  command. 

547.  Work,  Personal.  There  was 
a  king  of  Lydia  in  olden  times  who 
had  a  son  who  had  the  misfortune 
to  be  totally  dumb.  The  prince  dwelt 
in  a  splendid  court  of  his  father,  un- 
able to  utter  a  word.  Then  came 
dreadful  misfortunes.  The  Persians 
fought  the  Lydians,  and  Croesus  was 
overthrown.  A  soldier  was  about  to 
kill  the  unhappy  monarch,  of  whose 
rank  he  was  not  aware,  before  the 
eyes  of  his  son.    In  that  moment  of 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS    121 


horror,  fear  and  love  did  what  hu- 
man skill  had  not  done.  "Spare  him ; 
he  is  the  king !"  cried  the  prince.  His 
effort  to  save  his  father  had  burst 
the  string  which  tied  his  tongue.  If 
we  were  as  anxious  to  snatch  others 
from  eternal  death  as  this  poor  prince 
was  to  save  his  father  we  should 
find  that  we  too  could  speak ;  we 
should  no  longer  be  silent  on  the 
subject  of  heaven  and  hell. — Sunday 
School  Chronicle. 

548.  Work,  Personal.  A  Chris- 
tian gentleman  spoke  to  his  caddie 
while  they  were  waiting  together  on 
the  golf  links;  the  boy  became  a 
Christian,  and  later  on  a  minister  of 
the  gospel. 

A  Sunday-school  teacher  took  one 
of  her  class  of  boys  for  a  walk  one 
Sunday  afternoon  when  the  session 
of  the  school  was  over;  she  told 
him  of  her  concern  that  he  should 
become  a  Christian,  and  had  the  joy 
of  seeing  him  take  his  stand  for 
Christ. 

A  father  traveled  one  thousand 
miles  to  tell  his  son  that  he  was 
concerned  about  his  soul,  and  he 
had  the  joy  of  winning  him  to  the 
Saviour. 

A  business  man  in  one  of  our 
largest  cities  makes  it  the  rule  of  his 
life  to  speak  of  Christ  to  all  with 
whom  he  has  business  dealings,  if 
there  is  the  slightest  possible  chance 
for  him  consistently 'to  do  so;  he 
has  always  been  thanked  for  his 
kindness,  and  has  never  been  re- 
pulsed. 

As  the  followers  of  Christ,  we  have 
the  only  cure  for  sin,  the  only  hope 
for  those  in  despair,  and  we  are 
privileged  to  point  out  the  only  way 
that  leads  to  eternal  life,  and  hav- 
ing this  inestimable  privilege  we  are 
called  of  God  to  speak  and  not  be 
silent,  to  work  and  not  be  idle,  to 
pray  and  not  fail. — Rev.  J.  Wilbur 
Chapman,  D.D. 

54g.  Work,  Personal.  See  Won 
to  Christ  by  a  Word. 

550.  Work,  Personal  by  a  Boy. 

See  Boy,  His  Devotion. 

551.  Work,  Personal  Effort  for 
Souls.  "I  ought  to  have  been 
yours,"  said  a  bright,  happy  girl  to 
Miss  Havergal.  "What  do  you 
mean?"  was  the  reply.    "When  I  was 


seeking  the  Saviour,  I  put  myself  in 
your  way  several  times,  hoping  that 
you  would  speak  to  me  about  this 
matter,  but  you  did  not  speak  to  me, 
and  another  led  me  to  the  Saviour." 
One  star  less !  Miss  Havergal  never 
forgot  that  lesson.  Let  me  speak 
God's  word  faithfully.  Let  us  not 
miss  our  opportunities  to  win  souls 
to  Christ— H. 

552.  Work,  Rewarded.  A  Sab- 
bath school  teacher,  because  no  con- 
versions had  occurred  in  her  class  of 
sixteen  young  men,  resigned,  think- 
ing herself  to  blame  or  unfitted  for 
the  great  work.  Seeing  the  unflag- 
ging interest  of  her  pupils  neither 
superintendent  nor  pastor  would  con- 
sent to  it.  In  her  anxiety  she  prayed 
more  earnestly  for  the  Holy  Spirit's 
help. 

One  day  while  thus  pleading  she 
was  so  strongly  moved  to  go  and  see 
a  certain  one  at  his  home  that  she 
at  once  yielded,  and  in  that  home 
parlor  she  so  told  her  anxiety  that 
when  prayer  was  suggested  the  pupil 
kneeled  with  her  and  soon  yielded 
to  Christ  and  was  most  happily  con- 
verted. Thus  encouraged,  she  visited 
another,  and  another  in  turn,  as  op- 
portunity opened,  till  she  saw  the 
whole  sixteen  won  to  Christ  and 
added  to  the  Church. 

As  vacancies  occurred  in  her  class 
others  joined,  who  were  often  con- 
verted. These  pupils  passing  out  into 
the  business  world  were  urged  by 
her  to  write  annually  a  letter  as  to 
their  Christian  life,  till  finallv  she 
was  receiving  as  years  rolled  on  over 
two  hundred  letters  from  mission- 
aries, lawyers,  mechanics,  farmers, 
physicians,  and  others  from  various 
parts  of  the  world,  still  busy  in  pul- 
pit, or  Sabbath  school,  or  other 
church  work._ 

What  if  this  teacher  had  persisted 
in  her  determination  to  give  up  her 
class?  Would  God  have  held  her  re- 
sponsible? Will  he  hold  you  re- 
sponsible if  you  give  up?  "Let  us 
not  (as  soul-winning  Christian  work- 
ers) be  weary  in  well  doing;  for  in 
due  season  we  shall  reap,  if  we  faint 
not." 

553-  Work,  the  Spirit  of.  Some- 
times God  uses  peculiar  methods  to 
reach  the  human  heart.  Illinois 
maintains  an  institution  for  deaf 
mutes  at  Jacksonville.     During  a  re- 


122 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


vival  at  one  church,  there  were  not 
sufficient  visible  results  to  regard  the 
meeting  much  more  than  a  failure — 
as  man  judges.  But  a  woman 
teacher  from  the  deaf-mute  school 
had  brought  her  class  to  the  church 
nightly,  and  all  had  occupied  places 
in  the  gallery.  By  use  of  sign  lan- 
guage, she  had  translated  the  preach- 
er's appeals  so  that  the  twenty-one 
pupils  understood.  Nothing  was  said 
about  the  results.  After  the  meet- 
ing closed,  all  twenty-one  presented 
themselves  for  membership  as  con- 
verts of  the  meeting.  The  Lord 
works  when  we  may  think  his  ear  is 
heavy,  his  eye  closed,  and  his  hand 
hanging  supine.  It  is  our  business 
to  continue  activity  for  him. — Reli- 
gious Telescope. 

554.  Workers,   Sent   Home.     A 

few  years  ago  a  pastor  was  in  the 
midst  of  his  revival  meeting  with 
only  moderate  results.  Out  night  at 
the  close  of  the  public  service  he 
called  his  Sunday-school  teachers 
and  officers  to  meet  him  in  a  side 
room  for  conference.  After  grayer, 
he  handed  to  each  teacher  a  blank 
slip  of  paper,  and  asked  them  to  give 
the  number  of  scholars  in  their 
classes;  the  number  of  members  of 
the  church ;  and  the  number  unsaved. 
Not  a  single  teacher  could  do  it. 
It  was  an  impressive  moment.  The 
pastor  sent  these  teachers  home,  and 
asked  them  to  make  a  careful  in- 
vestigation and  report  two  nights 
later.  At  this  meeting  it  was  discov- 
ered that  there  was  147  pupils  in  the 
school  not  Christians.  After  much 
prayer  and  planning,  God  led  eighty- 
seven  of  these  into  the  kingdom. — 
Religious  Telescope. 

555.  Workers  Together  With 
God.  Out  in  India  in  the  moun- 
tains I  have  heard  in  the  twilight 
hour  a  call  from  the  ridge  below. 
Away  through  the  stillness  comes  the 
call,  and  from  the  ridge  above  me 
comes  the  response.  And  then  I  can 
hear  in  a  moment  more  a  faint  call 
from  a  far  ridge,  away  up  and  be- 
vond,  sounding  almost  like  a  distant 
echo.  What  did  it  mean?  It  meant 
that  the  man  close  above  me  was 
passing  the  word  from  the  man  be- 
low to  the  man  beyond.  The  man 
below  could  never  have  reached  the 
other  man  except  for  the  man  who 
stood  on  the  middle  ridge  and  massed 


the  message  on.  Oh,  friends,  there 
is  a  man  down  here  who  will  never 
hear  the  Man  up  there,  unless  you 
become  the  one  on  the  middle  ridge. 
— C.  A.  R.  Janvier,  D.D. 

556.  Works,    and    Faith.     See 

Struggle,  Give  Up. 

557.  Works,  Not  of.  I  remem- 
ber hearing  of  a  young  man  who 
went  to  a  minister  of  Christ  in  great 
distress  about  his  spiritual  state.  He 
said  to  the  minister,  "Sir,  can  you  tell 
me  what  I  must  do  to  find  peace?" 
The  minister  replied,  "Young  man, 
you  are  too  late."  "Oh !"  said  the 
young  man,  "you  don't  mean  to  say 
I  am  too  late  to  be  saved?"  "Oh! 
no,"  was  the  reply,  "but  you  are  too 
late  to  do  anything.  Jesus  did  every- 
thing that  needed  to  be  done  twenty 
centuries  ago."  "Not  of  works." 
Eph.  2 : 9. 

558.  World,  Unsatisfying.  When 
on  a  visit  to  Manchester  I  saw,  on 
the  grounds  of  my  host,  a  seagull 
trying  to  amuse  itself  with  a  pie- 
dish.  There  was  a  little  water  in  it, 
and  the  bird  of  the  ocean  was  doing 
its  best  to  make  the  most  of  its 
struggling  instinct.  What  a  sight  to 
see  this  bird,  with  its  instinct  for  the 
unmeasured  ocean,  trying  to  satisfy 
itself  with  a  pie-dish.  But  I  say, 
is  not  that  a  picture  of  human  nature 
trying  to  make  itself  contented  in 
the  conditions  of  this  secular  life? — 
Rev.  W.  L.  Watkinson,  D.D. 

559.  Yes,  to  God.  The  time  to 
say  "Yes"  to  God  is  now.  It  is  a 
mistake  to  think  that  obedience 
means  that  we  shall  be  robbed  of 
the  pleasures  of  life  and  that  heavy 
burdens  will  be  placed  upon  us.  On 
the  contrary,  when  we  say  "Yes"  to 
God  we  enter  upon  paths  of  peace. 
To  say  "No"  to  him  turns  us  into 
paths  of  suffering,  disappointment, 
and  despair.  Israel's  forty  weary 
years  of  wandering  in  the  wil- 
derness came  from  the  fact  that  the 
people  said  "No"  to  God  when  he 
urged  them  to  enter  the  promised 
land. 

The  time  to  say  "No"  to  every 
suggestion  of  evil  is  the  moment 
when  it  arises  in  the  mind.  He  who 
hesitates  is  lost.  Pope  knew  human 
nature  when  he  wrote, 


FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS    123 


"Vice  is  a  monster  of  so  frightful 
mien, 
That  to  be  hated  needs  but  to  be 
seen; 
But  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  its 
face, 
We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then 
embrace." 

The  successful  business  man  is  the 
one  who  sees  clearly,  makes  quick 
decisions,  sticks  to  them,  and  carries 
•them  through.  The  successful  Chris- 
tian— that  is  to  say,  the  Christian 
that  becomes  and  does  that  which 
God  wishes  him  to  be  and  do — is 
the  one  who  "by  reason  of  use"  has 
exercised  his  spiritual  faculties  in 
penetrating  the  mask  of  evil  and 
shunning  it,  and  in  discerning  the 
hidden  good  and  choosing  it — Rev. 
R.  P.  Anderson. 

560.  Yielding  to  Christ.  A  call 
came  over  the  phone,  asking  if  I 
would  be  in  the  office  at  noon.  I 
replied  that  I  would,  and  asked  no 
further  questions.  At  12 :30  a  well- 
dressed  young  woman  called,  and  I 
invited  her  into  the  office.  In  re- 
sponse to  my  question  as  to  how  I 
could  serve  her,  she  said,  "I  want  to 
be  a  real  Christian.  Can  you  tell  me 
how?" 

I  said  that  I  surely  could.  She  was 
a  woman  of  fine  character,  and  I 
found  that  she  knew  her  Bible  well 
and  could  quote  many  passages  on 
the  way  of  salvation.  After  some 
questioning  I  discovered  that  she 
could  not  believe  that  salvation  was 
for  just  one  individual,  and  that  one 
herself.  I  told  her  of  the  Father's 
love  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  that  it  was 
hers  for  the  asking,  and  that  if  she 
would  give  her  life  over  to  him  in 
surrender  he  would  take  it  and  bless 
it,  sanctify  it,  and  even  glorify  it. 

At  this  point  she  arose,  and  falling 
on  her  knees  by  the  chair  offered  as 
best  she  knew  how  a  beautiful 
prayer  of  dedication.  I  noticed  that 
full  victory  had  not  yet  come,  how- 
ever, and  after  we  rose  from  our 
knees  I  said :  "Isn't  it  great  to  have 
one's  life  taken  over  by  such  a  dear 
friend  as  Jesus,  who  will  guide, 
protect,  save,  and  use  it  to  save 
others?" 

A  smile  of  triumphant  faith  lit  up 
her  face.  I  then  knew  that  the  battle 
was  over. — Related  by  a  member  of 
the  Personal  Workers  League. 


561.  Yielding,  to  God.  See  Yes, 
to  God. 

562.  Yielding,    to    God.      See 

Saved,  by  Trusting  God. 

563.  Young  Christians.    We  can 

begin  the  Christian  life  by  simply 
seeking  to  follow  Christ  every  day 
and  do  his  will.  There  is  the  story 
of  a  horse  that  ran  away  one  morn- 
ing and  came  back  in  the  evening. 
When  the  master  upbraided  him  the 
horse  replied :  "But  here  am  I,  re- 
turned safe  and  sound.  You  have 
your  horse."  "Yes,"  returned  the 
master,  "but  my  field  is  not  ploughed. 
My  horse  has  not  worked  for  me." 
So,  when  boys  and  girls  refuse  to 
begin  the  Christian  life,  and  wait  un- 
til they  are  grown  up,  they  fail  to 
serve  the  Master,  and  they  harm 
themselves,  for  they  cannot  return 
safe  and  sound. 

564.  Young,    the    Call    to.      A 

speaker  in  Sunday-school  work  was 
offering  his  audience  many  helpful 
suggestions,  intended  to  put  them  in 
touch  with  their  scholars  at  critical 
times  in  their  lives.  At  a  certain 
period  in  his  talk,  he  asked  those  in 
his  audience  to  rise  who  had  become 
Christians  after  they  were  sixteen. 
A  goodly  number  rose. 

"Now  will  those  remain  standing," 
he  said,  "who  are  conscious  that  there 
was  an  earlier  time  in  their  lives 
when  some  tender  word,  a  cordial 
invitation  or  an  environment  of  warm 
spiritual  interest  would  have  led  them 
into  the  Saviour's  fold?" 

Only  three  reseated  themselves. 
All  the  rest  had  come  to  a  time  of 
decision  for  Christ,  and  had  drifted 
away  again  for  some  years,  for  the 
lack  of  some  one  near  enough  and 
loving  enough  as  a  Christian  and  a 
friend  to  discover  it. 

The  incident  has  a  lesson  and  a 
heart  truth  for  every  Christian,  par- 
ticularly for  those  in  intimate  touch 
with  the  young. 

565.  Zeal,  More  Needed.    "Give 

me  only  fire  enough,"  said  Bernard 
Palissy,  the  great  inventor,  "and 
these  colors  will  become  part  and 
parcel  of  this  china."  "He's  mad!" 
cried  his  derisive  neighbors.  "He's 
mad  !"  "More  fire  !"  shouted  the  de- 
termined  man.     "More   fire!"     And 


124  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

what    Palissy    said    was    at    length  Spirit's  utterance,  which  shall  cause 

proved  true.    "More  fire"  is  the  need  us  to  witness  with  boldness. — Chris- 

of  believers  in  Christ.     We  need  the  tian  Age. 

fire  of  God's  Word   to  burn  up  all 

the  dross  in  our  hearts ;  the  fire  of  566.       Zeal,     or     Boiling     Point 

Christ's    refining   grace    to    make   us  Christians.    See  Lukewarmness,  Not 

like   himself ;    and   the   fire   of    the  Sufficient. 


Ill 

TWO  HUNDRED  EVANGELISTIC  OUTLINES  AND 

SKETCHES 

The  compiler's  purpose  is  definitely  practical.  The  strain  of  a 
season  of  revival  services  makes  a  large  drain  on  a  minister's  re- 
sources. These  outlines  and  sketches  are  intended  to  lessen  that 
strain.  They  are  intended  only  to  be  suggestive.  But  when  these 
thoughts  and  sermon  methods,  with  their  infinite  stores  of  sugges- 
tion, have  passed  into  the  crucible  of  the  mind,  revival  preaching,  if 
baptized  by  prayer  and  quickened  by  study,  should  become  com- 
paratively easy  and  most  effective. 

There  are  valuable  suggestions  here  also  for  the  regular  work  of 
an  evangelical  ministry. 


Signs  of  a  Revival 

"And  give  us  a  little  reviving  in 
our  bondage."     Ezra  9 :  8. 

I.  A  fresh  quickening  of  his  own 
people. 

II.  A  revived  spirit  of  prayer. 

III.  An  increased  love  of  precious 
souls. 

IV.  Effort  made  answering  to  this 
love. 

V.  An  enlarged  expectation  of 
blessing. 

What  Time  Is  It? 

"It  is  time  to  seek  the  Lord." 
Hos.  10:12. 

I.  It  is  time  to  seek  the  Lord.  A 
call  to  the  sinner. 

II.  It  is  high  time  to  awake  out 
of  sleep.  Rom.  13:11.  A  warning 
to  the  saint. 

III.  It  is  time  for  thee,  Lord,  to 
work.  Ps.  119:126.  A  prayer  to 
the  Lord. 

Time  was  is  past,  thou  canst  not  it 
recall ; 

Time  is  thou  hast:  employ  the  por- 
tion small; 

Time   future  is  not,  and  may  never 
be; 

Time   present   is   the   only  time   for 
thee. 

— Rev.  Charles  Edwards. 

Church  Prosperity 

"O  Lord,  I  beseech  Thee,  send  now 
prosperity."     Ps.  118:25. 


125 


I.  God  is  the  source  of  church 
prosperity. 

II.  God  is  the  source  of  church 
prosperity  through  prayer. 

III.  In  what  does  church  prosper- 
ity consist? 

(1)  An  earnest  membership. 

(2)  A  learning  membership. 

(3)  A  membership  that  conscien" 
tiously  uses  the  means  of  grace. 

(4)  A  working  membership — all  at 
it  and  always  at  it. 

(5)  A  membership  possessing  mis- 
sionary spirit. 

(6)  A  membership  that  heartily 
supports  the  institutions  of  religion 
at  home. 

(7)  A  membership  that  walks  in 
separation  from  the  world. 

Acquaintance  With  God 

"Acquaint  now  thyself  with  him, 
and  be  at  peace;  thereby  good  shall 
come  unto  thee."     Job  22 :  21. 

I.  The  nature  of  acquaintance  with 
God. 

"Acquaintance"  implies  not  mere 
personal  knowledge,  but  that  intimacy 
and  familiarity  which  subsists  be- 
tween one  friend  and  another.  Ps. 
55:15;  101:4. 

II.  The  means  of  acquaintance 
with  God.  Enlightenment  by  the 
Spirit.  Faith  in  the  sacrifice  of 
Christ.  Believing  prayer.  Constant 
supplications  to  God  through  Christ 
will  produce  real  and  precious  in- 
timacy with  him.    The  constant  cher- 


126 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


ishing  of  the  Spirit's  influences.  The 
study  of  God  in  his  word,  in  his 
house,  etc.  By  frequent  intercourse 
with   Christians. 

III.  The  season  for  commencing 
acquaintance   with   God.     "Now." 

The  present  time  is  the  best.  The 
present  time  is  claimed  by  God  him- 
self. "To-day,  if  ye  will  hear  his 
voice,"  etc.  It  is  the  only  time  of 
which  you  are  certain. 

IV.  The  happy  results  of  acquain- 
tance with  God. 

(1)  Peace.  God  is  the  God  of 
peace,  and  all  his  people  enjoy  it. 

(2)  Good.  Temporal  good.  Pro- 
vidential goodness.  Spiritual  good. 
The  gifts  and  graces  of  the  Spirit. 
Divine  support  in  every  trial,  etc. 
Heavenly  good.    Eternal  good. 

Care  for  Souls 

"No  man  careth  for  my  soul."  Ps. 
142 : 4. 

I.  What  it  is  to  care  for  the  souls 
of  others.  * 

(1)  To  have  a  firm  conviction  of 
the  value  of  their  souls. 

(2)  To  feel  apprehension  of  the 
danger  to  which  their  souls  are  ex- 
posed. 

(3)  To  cherish  tender  solicitude 
for  the  welfare  of  their  souls. 

(4)  To  make  zealous  exertion  to 
bring  them  to  the  Saviour. 

II.  Who  are  they  who  ought  to 
care  for  the  souls  of  others? 

(1)  The  ministers   of   the   Gospel. 

(2)  The  members  of  the  Church. 

(3)  Heads  of  families. 

(4)  Sabbath-school   teachers. 

III.  What  are  the  evils  of  not 
caring  for  the  souls  of  others? 

(1)  How  cruel! 

(2)  How  ungrateful ! 

(3)  How  criminal ! 

(4)  How    fatal! 

Love  in   Search  of  a  Soul 

"The  Son  of  Man  is  come  to  seek 
and  to  save  that  which  was  lost." 
Luke  19:10. 

I.  Sidney  Lanier  says,  "Music  is 
Love  in  search  of  a  word."  The 
Gospel  is  infinite  love  in  search  of 
all  lost  souls.  This  is  the  philosophy 
of  the  Incarnation.  It  takes  nothing 
from  the  force  of  the  Christian  doc- 
trine of  the  Incarnation  that  other 
religions  have  believed  in  incarna- 
tion. It  rather  adds  to  it.  It  re- 
veals a  primary  conviction  of  the 
human  mind  that  there  is  no  other 


way  for  God  to  save  man  but  to  come 
to  him  as  man. 

II.  This  is  the  meaning  of  the 
Manger  at  Bethlehem,  of  the  Judean 
and  Galilean  ministry,  of  the  Pas- 
sion and  Death,  of  the  Resurrection 
and  Ascension ;  this  is  the  meaning 
of  Pentecost  and  the  Holy  Spirit, 
this  is  the  meaning  of  the  Christian 
Sabbath  and  the  Christian  Church 
and  the  Christian  Scriptures;  these 
can  have  but  one  meaning,  and  that 
is,  God  is  seeking  man. 

III.  It  is  a  great  thought,  that  of 
man  seeking,  ever  seeking  God;  seek- 
ing him  in  prayers  and  penances  and 
pilgrimages.  Man  can  climb  no 
higher  than  he  climbs  as  a  seeker 
after  God.  This  is  man  at  his  best. 
Socrates,  Plato,  Epictetus  are  at  their 
best  when  they  are  seeking  after 
God. 

IV.  But  there  is  a  greater  concep- 
tion— that  of  God  seeking  man ; 
seeking  him  by  revelations  and  in- 
spirations ;  by  admonitions  and  in- 
vitations ;  seeking  him  supremely  by 
the  Incarnation.  What  is  the  ex- 
planation of  it?  This:  God  is  love, 
and  love  is  not  content  until  all  the 
lost  are  saved. — Rev.  Charles  C.  Al- 
bertson,  D.D. 

Giving  the  Heart 

"My  son,  give  me  thine  heart." 
Prov.  23:26. 

I.  What  is  implied  in  the  giving 
of  the  heart  to  God? 

(1)  That  it  is  given  sincerely. 

(2)  That  it  is  given  entirely. 

(3)  That  it  is  given   freely. 

(4)  That  it  is  given  for  ever. 

II.  Why  the  heart  should  be  given 
to  God. 

(1)  He  is  worthy  of  it. 

(2)  He  has  a  title  to  it. 

(3)  He  demands  it. 

(4)  He  will  bless  it. 

The  Way  to  Heaven 

"And  an  highway  shall  be  there, 
and  a  way,  and  it  shall  be  called,  The 
way  of  holiness ;  the  unclean  shall 
not  pass  over  it;  but  it  shall  be  for 
those ;  the  wayfaring  men,  though 
fools,  shall  not  err  therein.  No  lion 
shall  be  there,  nor  any  ravenous  beast 
shall  go  up  thereon,  it  shall  not  be 
found  there ;  but  the  redeemed  shall 
walk  there.  And  the  ransomed  of 
the  Lord  shall  return,  and  come  to 
the  Zion  with  songs,  and  everlasting 
joy  upon  their  heads;  they  shall  ob- 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      127 


tain  joy  and  gladness,  and  sorrow 
and  sighing  shall  flee  away."  Isa. 
35 :  8-10. 

(1)  The  way  to  heaven  is  a  high- 
way. 

(2)  The  way  to  heaven  is  a  holy 
way. 

(3)  The  way  to  heaven  is  a  plain 
way. 

(4)  The  way  to  heaven  is  a  safe 
way. 

(5)  The  way  to  heaven  is  a  happy 
way. 

God's  Invitation  to  Test 
"Prove  me  now."     Mai.  3 :  10. 

(1)  With  regard  to  the  pardon  of 
our  sin  for  Christ's  sake. 

(2)  With  regard  to  the  purifying 
influence  of  the  Gospel. 

(3)  With  regard  to  our  guidance 
in  the  investigation  of  religious 
truth. 

(4)  With  regard  to  the  supply  of 
our  temporal  wants. 

(5)  With  regard  to  the  happiness 
of  personal   religion. 

(6)  With  regard  to  answers  to 
prayer. 

Summoned    to    Service:    Opening 
Revival  Services 

"Come  now,  therefore,  and  I  will 
send  thee  unto  Pharaoh.  .  .  .  Who 
am  I  that  I  should  go  unto  Pharaoh? 
Certainly  I  will  be  with  thee." 
Exodus  3 :  10-12. 

God's  summons  to  serve,  Moses' 
sense  of  insufficiency,  his  unrecog- 
nized sufficiency,  these  are  the  three 
prominent  thoughts  presented  in  the 
verses  we  have  chosen  for  study. 
Let  us  take  them  up  in  their  order, 
as  mentioned. 

I.    God's  summons  to  serve. 

The  years  of  Moses'  life  are  di- 
vided in  a  remarkable  way  into  three 
forties.  The  first  forty  he  spent  as 
a  prince  in  Pharaoh's  court,  the  sec- 
ond as  shepherd  in  Midian,  the  third 
as  a  king  of  Jeshurun.  He  had  just 
finished  the  second  forty  and  now 
at  the  burning  bush  receives  a  sud- 
den summons.  It  was  nothing  less 
than  a  commission  to  bring  Israel 
out  of  Egypt.  The  sight  of  the  bush 
that  burned  and  was  not  consumed 
was  an  astonishment  to  him,  but  it 
was  not  half  so  astonishing  as  was 
the  summons  that  came  to  him  there : 
"Come  now,  therefore,  and  I  will 
send  thee  into  Pharaoh."  Was  this 
lone  man  who  had  fled  and  was  now 


hiding  from  Pharaoh's  wrath  to  go 
stand  in  his  dread  presence?  And 
was  he  to  be  there  not  to  make  meek 
submission  to  him,  but  to  make  an 
audacious  and  most  unpalatable  de- 
mand sure  to  incense  him  to  the 
highest  degree?  Was  this  solitary  , 
shepherd  to  dream  of  such  a  thing 
as  performing  the  stupendous  task 
of  taking  Israel  out  of  the  mighty 
Pharaoh's  grasp  and  transfer  them 
into  a  distant  land  of  peace  and 
plenty?  Yes,  it  was  this  and  noth- 
ing less  than  this  to  which  God  was 
summoning  him. 

Though  God  does  not  call  us  to 
such  high  tasks  as  that  to  which 
Moses  was  called,  yet  he  does  sum- 
mon and  send  us  forth  to  noble 
service.  There  are  souls  that  need 
deliverance  to-day,  as  did  Israel  in 
that  day.  God  tells  us  to  go  to  them 
and  lead  them  forth  into  the  light 
and  blessings  of  his  gospel.  He 
summons  us  to  bear  witness  for  him 
before  an  ungodly  world.  He  com- 
missions us  to  teach  his  truth,  to 
lift  up  the  fallen,  cheer  the  despond- 
ent, feed  the  hungry,  comfort  the 
sorrowing,  save  the  sinning.  In- 
deed, he  may  speak  to  us  in  a  far 
more  definite  way,  telling  us  exactly 
what  to  do.  "There  is  that  home 
where  a  sick  one  waits  for  your 
coming.  There  is  a  poor  widow  you 
must  help.  Go  teach  in  that  Sunday- 
school.  Go  preach  in  that  foreign 
field.  Go  down  into  that  dark  place 
of  your  city  and  set  up  a  lighthouse 
of  gospel  truth.  Extend  a  helping 
hand  to  that  young  man  in  your 
employ.  See  that  that  girl  gets  an 
education.  Rescue  that  child  from 
that  den  of  degradation."  God's 
summons  to  serve  comes  to  every 
one  of  us. 

II.  Moses'  sense  of  insufficiency. 
"Who  am  I,"  said  Moses,  "that  I 
should  go  unto  Pharaoh?"  "Who  am 
I  ?"  each  one  of  us  is  too  liable  to 
say.  "Who  am  I,  that  I  should  take 
upon  me  the  name  of  Christ  or 
undertake  things  so  high  and  noble 
in  his  service?"  Though  this  is  a 
very  natural  feeling  it  is  one  we 
should  guard  carefully  against  when 
God  summons  us  into  his  service. 

A  young  man  was  asked  to  become 
a  Christian.  He  said  he  would  gladly 
do  so,  but  he  was  afraid  he  would 
fail  and  bring  dishonor  upon  Christ. 
But  his  hesitation  was  wrong.  The 
call  that  came  to  him  was  God's  call 


128 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


and  he  had  no  right  to  hold  back 
from  duty  because  he  felt  insuffi- 
cient. 

A  young  woman  was  invited  to 
take  a  class  of  boys  in  Sunday-school. 
She  declined  fearing  she  should  fail. 
There  was  nothing  wrong  in  her 
timidity,  but  there  was  much  wrong 
when  she  let  her  timidity,  her  sense 
of  insufficiency,  prevent  her  taking 
up  the  work  she  was  providentially 
called  to  do. 

III.  For,  notice,  in  the  third  place, 
Moses'  unrecognized  sufficiency. 
Moses  proved  to  be  perfectly  fitted 
to  accomplish  the  task  for  which  he 
thought  himself  so  unequal.  He  had 
in  himself  capacities  of  which  he 
was  then  ignorant,  and  he  had  in 
God  a  divine  resource  on  which  he 
did  not  for  the  moment  reckon. 
"Certainly  I  will  be  with  thee." 
Say,  "I  AM  hath  sent  me." 

God  does  not  make  mistakes  in 
calling  persons  to  do  work  for  him. 
He  knows  their  talents,  even  if  at  the 
time  they  are  latent.  He  always 
calls  men  and  women  who  are  pre- 
pared for  the  task.  Moses  was  pre- 
pared for  his.  But  it  is  not  often 
the  case  that  the  worker  recognizes 
his  own  preparation.  He  always 
says,  "Who  is  sufficient  for  these 
things?"  But  God's  promise  is  al- 
ways, "My  grace  is  sufficient  for 
thee."— H. 

How  to  Succeed  in  Revivals:  Open- 
ing the   Services 

"Now  Jericho  was  straitly  shut 
up,"  etc.     Joshua  6  :  1-5. 

While  Joshua  was  inspecting  the 
fortifications  of  Jericho,  perhaps 
musing  on  the  plan  of  attack,  the 
Captain  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  ap- 
peared unto  him  with  "his  sword 
drawn  in  his  hand,"  ready  for  action, 
and  said,  "Shout,  for  the  Lord  hath 
given  you  the  city."  The  Lord 
Jehovah  planned  the  campaign.  He 
told  Joshua  how  to  go  about  the 
work  so  as  to  ensure  success. 

I.  There  must  be  thoroughness — 
"Ye  shall  compass  the  city  round 
about."  If  they  would  succeed  in 
their  Revival  Mission,  they  must 
make  the  best  possible  arrangements 
as  to  time  and  place,  surroundings, 
assistants,  and  sermons.  God  will 
not  put  a  premium  on  idleness. 

II.  Unanimity  required  —  they 
should  "all"  compass  the  city — men 
and  women,  young  and  old,   officers 


as  well  as  rank  and  file ;  all  must 
come  to  the  help  of  the  Lord.  Where 
there  is  such  unanimity  in  a  church 
in  promoting  the  work  of  God  suc- 
cess is  assured. 

III.  Perseverance  is  esseritial — 
"Ye  shall  compass  the  city  six  days." 
If  they  had  not  as  much  success  as 
they  expected  at  the  commencement 
of  a  revival  campaign,  let  them  not 
be  discouraged.  For  six  days  the 
hosts  of  Israel  compassed  the  city, 
and  nothing  whatever  seemed  to  be 
accomplished. 

IV.  Publicity  is  absolutely  needed 
— the  priests  were  to  "blow  with  the 
trumpets."  Before  you  enter  on  such 
a  mission  be  sure  to  blow  the  trum- 
pets. Announce !  Announce !  Scat- 
ter hand-bills ;  post  placards ;  blow 
the  trumpets  through  the  press ;  ad- 
vertise largely ;  let  the  public  know 
what  you  are  about  to  do ;  give  them 
a  chance. 

V.  Self-sacrifice  is  demanded. 
"Ye  shall  compass  the  city  seven 
times."  Let  business  men  make  sacri- 
fices, and  give  a  portion  of  their 
time  and  money  to  this  service  of 
the  Lord.  Christ  sacrificed  himself 
for  us,  and  they  should  make  sacri- 
fices to  promote  his  cause.  So  should 
all. 

VI.  Absolute  dependence  on  God 
alone  for  success  is  an  indispensable 
and  constant  necessity.  Not  in 
Joshua;  not  in  the  armies  of  Israel; 
not  in  plans  and  arrangements ;  not 
in  the  preacher  and  his  helpers  must 
you  put  your  trust.  The  "ark  of  the 
Lord"  should  go  before  them.  The 
ark  was  the  symbol  of  the  Divine 
presence.  Nothing  can  be  accom- 
plished but  by  the  power  of  God. 
With  God  nothing  is  impossible. 
Before  him  obstacles  as  great  as  the 
frowning  battlements  of  Jericho  will 
fall  down  flat  before  you. 

VII.  Confident  expectation  must 
be  in  constant  exercise.  "Shout" — 
shout  before  the  city  is  taken  in  the 
fullest  belief  that  Jehovah  will  ful- 
fil his  promise.  Shout  before  the 
triumph  as  if  it  had  already  taken 
place.  Thank  God  not  only  for  what 
he  has  done,  but  also  for  what  he 
has  promised  to  do,  and  what  he  is 
about  to  do.  Shout  not  only  for  what 
has  been  done,  but  for  what  he  is 
going  to  do.  "Shout,"  for  the  Lord 
hath  given  you  the  city. 

VIII.  Action  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  living  faith.    They  gave 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      129 


the  "great  shout" — the  shout  arising 
from  faith  in  God.  "By  faith  the 
walls  of  Jericho  fell  down,  after  they 
were  compassed  about  seven  days." — 
Rev.  H.  P.  H. 

Impossible 

I.  For  men  to  enter  heaven  unless 
born  again.    John  3  :  5-7. 

II.  For  men  to  be  saved  without 
shedding  of   blood.     Heb.   9 :  22. 

III.  To  be  saved  without  personal 
faith.     Mark  16  :  16. 

IV.  To  believe  and  not  be  saved. 
Acts  16:31. 

V.  To  be  saved  after  this  life. 
Luke  16:26. 

VI.  For  those  who  neglect,  to 
escape.     Heb.  2 :  3. 

VII.  For  God  to  lie.  Heb.  6 :  18. 

— James  Sprunt. 

How  to  Have  An  Ingathering  of 
Souls:  Beginning  Revival  Work 

"If  my  people  shall  humble  them- 
selves, and  pray,  then  will  I  hear 
from  heaven,"  etc.  2  Chron.  7 :  14- 
16. 

I.  Let  us  ask  for  it.  If  we  wish 
the  blessing  it  is  as  little  as  we  can 
do  to  ask  for  it.  "Ask  and  ye 
shall  receive."  Before  we  can  have 
an  ingathering  of  souls  our  churches 
and  people  must  be  aroused  to  an 
earnest  spirit  of  prayer  and  suppli- 
cation. Doubtless  we  might  exper- 
ience another  pentecostal  blessing  in 
answer  to  another  pentecostal  season 
of  earnest  prayer.  Prayer  is  God's 
appointed  means  for  obtaining. 
Prayer  is  the  channel  through  which 
our  blessings  come.  Oftentimes  our 
churches  are  like  some  inland  city  in 
the  winter  on  the  banks  of  a  frozen 
stream.  We  are  the  dwellers  in  that 
city,  hungering  and  starving  for 
food.  Scores  of  richly  laden  vessels 
are  lying  in  the  stream  a  few  miles 
below  anxiously  waiting  to  reach  our 
wharves.  But  why  the  delay?  It  is 
because  the  channel  is  closed  by  the 
ice.  So  it  is  often  in  regard  to  God's 
blessings  for  his  Church.  He  is  not 
only  willing  but  waiting  to  bestow 
them  upon  us.  Why  then  do  they 
not  come?  The  reason  is  plain. 
Our  prayers  are  the  channel,  the  ap- 
pointed channel,  through  which  every 
good  must  come ;  but  the  channel  is 
not  open.  Oh,  how  often  do  our 
churches  fail  to  keep  the  channel 
clear.  How  often  are  we  in  want 
and    miss    the    blessing    because   the 


stream  is   frozen  and   God  does  not 
come  through  the  ice ! 

II.  Let  us  expect  it.  This  means 
faith.  Faith  is  the  hand  that  takes 
the  blessing.  One  reason  we  do  not 
receive  more  is  because  we  do  not 
expect  more.  Think  what  poor  feeble 
faith  we  have !  How  often  we  are 
like  those  Christians  praying  for 
Peter.  Recall  the  scene.  The  disci- 
ples were  gathered  together  praying 
for  Peter's  release  from  prison. 
While  they  were  praying  he  knocked 
at  the  door.  But  they  would  not  be- 
lieve it  was  Peter.  He  continued 
knocking.  When  they  opened  the 
door  and  saw  that  it  was  indeed  he, 
they  were  astonished.  Think  of  it! 
The  Church  praying — God  answering 
— and  the  people  "astonished'' !  But 
how  often  it  is  so  still !  Think  of 
our  poor  weak  faith.  Often  it  is 
that  Christ,  consistently  with  his  own 
character,  really  cannot  do  many 
mighty  works  in  our  churches  be- 
cause of  our  unbelief.  Instead,  we 
ought  to  ask  great  things  and  expect 
great  things  from  his  hand.  He 
says,  "According  to  your  faith  be  it 
unto  you."  It  is  as  if  one  very  rich 
were  to  hand  us  a  blank  check  with 
his  name  signed  and  say:  "Now,  fill 
it  out  yourself,  write  in  the  amount 
you  would  draw,  and  according  to 
your  faith  in  me  be  it  unto  you." 
We  might  hesitate  to  make  too  large 
a  draft  upon  an  earthly  friend,  but 
there  is  no  need  to  draw  lightly  upon 
God, 

"For-  his  grace  and  power  are  such, 
None  can  ever  ask  too  much." 
God  is  far  more  willing  to  bless  us 
than  we  think  he  is.  If  we  really 
wish  an  ingathering  of  souls  in  our 
churches,  let  us  ask  for  it  and  ex- 
pect it  and  get  our  people  to  expect- 
ing it.  God  will  honor  our  prayers 
and  our  faith. 

III.  Let  us  work  for  it.  Living 
faith  is  a  practical  faith  and  goes  to 
work.  "Faith  without  works  is 
dead."  But  a  living  faith  is  a  work- 
ing faith.  It  believes  there  is  a 
human  side  as  well  as  a  Divine  side 
in  God's  plan  for  the  accomplishment 
of  his  will.  Faith  never  prays,  "Lord, 
put  grain  into  my  barn."  Faith 
ploughs  and  sows  and  prays:  "Lord, 
bless  effort."  So  when  we  have  a 
part  given  us  to  do  that  is  useless 
prayer  which  does  not  try  to  answer 
itself  as  far  as  possible.  True  faith 
is    practical,    and    practicable     faith 


130 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


unites  prayer  and  effort.  Do  you 
want  to  see  Christians  grow  in  grace, 
sinners  saved  and  the  gospel  of 
Christ  prevail  as  never  before? 
Then  pray.  Then  expect  the  bless- 
ing. Do  not  contradict  your  faith 
by  not  expecting  the  blessing.  God 
never  said :  Ask  to  see  whether  I 
will  give.  He  does  say,  "Ask  and 
ye  shall  receive."  If  we  use  the 
means  and  do  our  duty  it  is  sure  as 
God  is  God  and  his  word  is  truth 
that  we  shall  never  be  disappointed. 
"If  thou  canst  believe  all  things  are 
possible  to  him  that  believeth." — H. 

A   Call  to  Heroism:  Opening  Re- 
vival Services 

"Go  stand  and  speak  in  the  temple 
to  the  people  all  the  words  of  this 
life."     Acts  5:20. 

The  apostles  of  Christ  are  in  the 
midst  of  persecution.  An  attempt  is 
made  to  silence  their  preaching  and 
stay  the  aggressive  power  of  the  Gos- 
pel. They  are  cast  into  prison.  But 
an  angel  opens  the  doors  and  bids 
the  messengers  of  the  truth  continue 
their  work.  "Go,  stand  and  speak 
in  the  temple  to  the  people  all  the 
words  of  this  life." 

In  the  word  "stand,"  of  this  mes- 
sage, is  an  implied  summons  to  Chris- 
tian boldness.  In  the  words  "speak 
in  the  temple,"  is  a  call  to  heroic 
action.  They  were  called  to  stand  at 
the  post  of  duty,  at  the  very  spot 
where  they  had  been  arrested,  at  the 
very  center  of  opposition.  They  were 
to  speak  to  the  people  "all  the  words 
of  this  life."  "Life"  here  means  not 
the  present  life,  nor  the  future  life, 
but  the  spiritual  life,  the  Christian 
life,  the  new  life  in  Christ,  which 
was  the  theme  of  the  apostolic 
preaching. 

They  obeyed.  "They  entered  into 
the  temple  early  in  the  morning." 
They  went  as  soon  as  released,  being 
back  in  the  temple  by  daybreak,  in 
time  for  the  morning  sacrifice  at  sun- 
rise. There  they  stood,  and  bore  wit- 
ness for  Christ,  moved  by  the  con- 
sciousness that  they  ought  to  obey 
God  rather  than  men. 

There  is  a  call  to  heroism  in  our 
day.  In  this  message  and  the  exam- 
ple of  the  apostles  we  hear  it: 
"Stand !"     "Stand !" 

I.  "Stand"  in  the  Place  of  Danger. 
The  apostles  had  been  arrested  in 
Solomon's  porch.  The  exclamation  of 
their  enemies  was :  "Behold,  the  men 


whom  ye  put  in  prison  are  standing 
in  the  temple."  They  were  back 
again  in  the  same  place.  No  wonder 
the  daring  of  men  who  would  go 
straight  back  to  the  place  of  their 
apprehension  compelled  astonishment. 
But  ready  for  such  heroic  conduct 
should  be  every  Christian.  On  the 
mission  fields,  in  many  lines  of  effort 
to  save  men,  there  is  danger — some- 
times to  life,  but  more  often  to  our 
peace  and  tranquillity;  yet  we  should 
stand.  Like  the  pilot  of  the  burning 
ship  guiding  her  to  the  beach ;  like 
he  engineer  who  instead  of  jumping 
stuck  to  his  engine  and  forced  it 
safely  through  an  obstruction ;  so 
should  we  heroically  stand  in  the 
place  of  danger  when  called  to  it  by 
the  voice  of  duty. 

II.  "Stand"  in  the  Place  of  Obe- 
dience. 

(1)  The  obedience  of  these  men 
of  God  was  literal.  The  angel  said, 
"Go,  stand,"  and  they  were  found 
"standing."  He  said,  "Speak  to  the 
people,"  and  they  were  found  "teach- 
ing the  people." 

(2)  Their  obedience  was  very 
prompt.  The  command  was,  "Speak 
in  the  temple."  "And  when  they 
heard  that,  they  entered  into  the 
temple  early  in  the  morning."  No 
delay. 

(3)  Their  obedience  was  continu- 
ous. This  we  learn  from  the  42nd 
verse  of  this  chapter:  "And  daily  in 
the  temple,  and  in  every  house,  they 
ceased  not  to  teach  and  preach  Jesus 
Christ." 

A  man  asking  for  work  was  bidden 
to  take  a  rope  and  pail,  draw  water 
from  a  well  and  pour  it  into  a  sieve. 
The  work  seemed  highest  folly.  But 
he  continued  hour  after  hour  the  long 
day  through.  As  evening  approached, 
he  found  the  well  nearly  dry;  then 
he  happened  to  notice  a  bright,  spark- 
ling light  at  the  bottom.  It  proved  to 
be  a  ring  set  with  a  brilliant  gem 
which  had  been  dropped  into  the  well. 
He  had  not  understood  before;  but 
having  been  instant  and  faithful  in 
obedience  he  now  saw  the  reason  for 
the  work  he  had  been  given  to  do. 
God  will  choose  those  to  be  co- 
workers with  him  who  will  do  just 
what  they  are  told,  literally,  promptly, 
continuously. 

III.  "Stand"  in  the  Place  of  Op- 
portunity. 

The  place  where  God  bids  us  to  go 
is    the    place    of    opportunity.      The 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      131 


apostles  found  people  in  the  temple. 
There  they  had  hearers.  To  these 
hearers  they  carried  a  message,  bore 
a  testimony.  Another  chance  to 
preach  to  the  people  and  another 
chance  to  reach  the  ears  of  the  coun- 
cil was  their  reward.  In  the  place 
of  opportunity  let  us  not  fear  or 
fail  to  stand. 

IV.  "Stand"  in  the  Place  of  Privi- 
lege. 

The  place  of  danger  and  of  obe- 
dience and  of  opportunity  was  the 
place  of  privilege.  It  gave  them  the 
privilege  of  serving  God  and  of 
bringing  about  results  in  his  King- 
dom. Duty  ever  enlarges  into  privi- 
lege. The  duty  of  sowing  the  seed 
of  the  Gospel  widens  out  into  the 
privilege  of  harvesting  souls.  The 
duty  of  standing  obediently,  becomes 
the  privilege  of  conscious  communion 
with  God.  The  duty  of  doing  hard 
things  or  dangerous  things  for 
Christ's  sake  brings  the  privilege  of 
by-and-by  hearing  his,  "Well  done, 
good  and  faithful  servant,  enter  thou 
into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

Let  us  live  lives  that  are  heroic  in 
faithfulness.  Let  us  "stand"  for 
God.  Let  us!  do  it  wherever  the 
place  he  puts  us  to-day. — H. 

Faith    Rewarded:    Beginning    Re- 
vival Work 

"When  Jesus  saw  their  faith,  he 
said  unto  the  sick  of  the  palsy,  Son, 
thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee."  Mark 
2:5. 

Christ  had  been  at  Capernaum  be- 
fore. After  he  had  gone  they  missed 
him.  Then  they  began  to  appreciate 
who  he  was,  his  wisdom,  his  power, 
and  the  wonder  of  his  works.  But 
now  "again  he  entered  into  Caper- 
naum after  some  days." 

I.  We  notice,  first,  that  great  mul- 
titudes gathered  about  Christ.  He 
entered  into  a  house  and  began  to 
speak,  but  the  place  could  not  contain 
the  people.  "There  was  no  room  to 
receive  them,  no,  not  so  much  as 
about  the  door."  There  was  not  even 
standing  room.  But  what  was  it 
that  so  attracted  the  crowd?  It  was 
the  fact  that  Christ  was  in  that  house 
healing  the  sick.  That  drew  the 
crowds ;  and  do  you  not  know  that 
the  surest  way  to  secure  an  audience 
is  to  have  it  known  that  Christ  is  in 
a  house  healing  and  saving  sinners? 
People  gather  where  Christ  is.  It 
is    not   so   much   a   question   of   the 


kind  of  preaching  as  it  is  whether  or 
not    Christ    is    present.      "Unto    him 

shall    the    gathering    of    the    people 

be." 

II.  To  this  crowd  Christ  "preached 
the  word,"  and  the  preaching  got  the 
people  to  do  something.  They  began 
to  think  of  that  paralytic.  They  said, 
"There  is  that  poor  sick  man,  he 
ought  to  be  here  that  Christ  might 
heal  him;  let  us  go  and  bring  him." 
So  do  we  know  that  is  the  best 
preaching  which  incites  people  to 
work  and  bring  others  into  the  pres- 
ence of  Christ — those  who  do  not 
know  him — that  poor,  sin  palsied 
man,  that  unsaved  neighbor,  those 
children  outside  of  the  Church 
and  Sunday-school,  and  even  dear- 
est friends  who  need  his  healing 
power. 

III.  The  useful  work  to  which  the 
people  were  incited  was  that  of  try- 
ing to  save  someone.  The  purpose 
of  bringing  that  paralytic  to  Christ 
was  that  he  might  be  healed.  They 
wanted  to  save  that  man;  and  what 
is  needed  to-day  is  such  a  longing  in 
the  hearts  of  God's  people  as  will 
lead  them  to  try  to  save  the  perish- 
ing. Let  us  get  the  idea  of  trying 
to  save  some  one.  Horace  Mann, 
after  visiting  a  reformatory,  noting 
its  costly  buildings  and  expensive 
corps  of  teachers,  said:  "If  all  this 
results  in  saving  only  a  boy,  it  were 
worth  all  the  expense  and  labor."  A 
cautious,  calculating  man  who  heard 
the  remark,  thought  him  extravagant 
and  said,  "Do  you  not  go  a  little  too 
far  when  you  say  that  the  reformation 
of  one  boy  would  be  sufficient  com- 
pensation for  all  this  immense  out- 
lay?" "Not  if  it  were  my  boy,"  was 
the  quick  reply.  Are  the  dying  souls 
about  you  nothing  to  you?  Some  are 
your  boys.  Some  are  your  friends. 
All  are  your  brother-men. 

IV.  This  scriptural  incident  sug- 
gests that  some  people  will  not  come 
to  Christ  unless  they  are  helped  to  do 
so.  This  man,  sick  of  the  palsy, 
would  probably  never  have  found 
Christ  had  he  not  received  the  as- 
sistance of  his  friends.  Mr.  Moody 
says  he  doubts  if  anyone  was  ever 
saved  without  the  co-operation  of 
human  agents.  Carry  your  friends 
to  Christ.  Mothers,  fathers,  friends, 
the  Saviour  is  come  within  reach. 
Take  up  those  whom  you  love  and 
carry  them  to  him. 

V.  Christ     especially     commended 


132 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


the  faith  of  the  friends.  "When 
Jesus  saw  their  faith."  The  four 
friends  of  the  paralytic  took  him  up 
and  carried  him  to  Christ.  We  can- 
not accept  Christ  for  a  friend,  but  we 
can  carry  our  friend  to  Christ.  It 
is  when  he  sees  our  faith  that  he 
gives  the  answer. 

VI.  In  saving  souls  do  not  let  cere- 
mony or  departure  from  accustomed 
ways  of  doing  things  deter  you.  A 
door  is  the  most  proper  way  by 
which  to  enter  a  house.  To  enter 
through  a  window  would  not  seem 
becoming ;  but  certainly  to  go  down 
through  the  roof  is  contrary  to  all 
our  ideas  of  decorum.  But  the  only 
idea  of  these  men  was  to  get  the 
sick  man  to  Christ.  They  did  not 
hesitate  in  regard  to  methods.  We 
are  in  danger  of  being  too  much 
afraid  of  departing  from  accustomed 
ways  of  doing  religious  work.  The 
"anxious  seat,"  the  "mourner's 
bench,"  the  "rising  for  prayer,"  may 
not  seem  proper,  but  they  have  been 
abundantly  blessed  of  God. 

VII.  Do  not  despair  of  the  con- 
version of  even  the  most  hardened 
sinner.  Palsy  was  regarded  an  in- 
curable disease.  Some  would  say 
that  this  was  an  absolutely  hopeless 
case ;  but  there  are  no  hopeless  cases 
from  the  standpoint  of  Christ.  Let 
us  believe ;  let  us  have  faith  in  him ; 
let  us  do  the  work  that  falls  to  us 
faithfully,  and  know  that  Christ  will 
exercise  his  power  in  healing  even 
the  most  hardened.  Faith  will  al- 
ways be  rewarded.  Christ  always 
honors  it. — H. 

Duty   of    Co-operation:    Beginning 
Revival  Work 

"From  whom  the  whole  body  fitly 
joined  together  and  compacted  by 
that  which  every  joint  supplieth,"  etc. 
Eph.  4:16. 

Paul  here  uses  the  idea  of  the 
growth  of  the  human  body  to  illus- 
trate growth  of  the  Church.  He  says 
that  the  Church  makes  increase  of 
itself  only  "according  to  the  effectual 
working  in  the  measure  of  every 
part." 

I.  Each  part  must  do  its  share. 
In  the  body  there  are  nerves,  bones, 
blood-vessels  and  other  parts  innu- 
merable, and  each  of  these  has  a  spe- 
cial function ;  so  has  God  given  to 
every  member  of  his  Church  some 
special  functions  with  special  work 
to    do.      The    whole    body    is    "fitly 


joined  together" — no  part  is  expected 
to  do  the  work  of  any  other  part. 
No  part  can  do  the  work  of  any 
other  part. 

II.  But  in  this  figure  of  the  body's 
growth  and  functions  there  is  still 
another  thought — that  each  part  must 
work  in  conjunction  with  all  the  rest. 

It  is  not  enough  that  each  part 
should  do  some  work,  but  it  must  be 
co-operative  work.  The  whole  body 
is  "fitly  joined  and  compacted"  in 
order  that  it  may  be  suitably  in- 
creased by  that  which  "every  joint 
supplieth ;"  the  whole  growing  by 
every  part  growing.  This  rule,  ap- 
plied in  the  individual  Church,  would 
mean  that  while  it  might  have  one 
or  more  pastors  it  would  have  just 
as  many  workers  as  there  are  mem- 
bers. The  minister  with  a  church 
of  one  hundred  members,  would  have 
just  one  hundred  devoted  helpers,  or, 
of  five  hundred  members,  five  hun- 
dred helpers ;  all  together  working 
"in  the  measure  of  every  part,  making 
increase  of  the  body  unto  the  edify- 
ing of  itself  in  love."  No  pastor 
can  do  his  people's  work.  No  Chris- 
tian's life  can  be  lived  by  proxy.  If 
your  work  is  done  by  some  one  else, 
your  work  is  not  done  at  all.  You 
may  be  small,  but  no  one  else  can 
fill  your  place.  "All  at  it,  always  at 
it,"  is  the  rule. 

III.  There  is  work  for  all  and  all 
can  work.  Take  for  suggestiveness 
the  building  of  the  temple  at  Jerusa- 
lem. The  plan  of  the  building  was 
given  by  God  himself,  and  was  com- 
mitted to  masterbuilders  of  his  own 
choosing.  Their  business  was  to  see 
how  every  stone  was  laid,  and  that  all 
the  vast  multitude  employed  did  their 
work  faithfully.  But  all  the  people 
were  enlisted  in  the  work.  Some 
were  cleaning  off  and  leveling  the 
foundation ;  others  were  on  the 
mountain-sides  quarrying  the  rocks ; 
others  were  squaring  them  to  the  size 
directed ;  others  were  engaged  in 
hauling  them  to  the  building;  others 
were  raising  them  to  the  appointed 
place ;  others  making  mortar  and  car- 
rying it  to  the  builders;  while  even 
the  women  and  children  were  doubt- 
less engaged  in  combing  the  wool  and 
camel's  hair  and  making  the  cur- 
tains and  fringes.  The  whole  church 
was  at  work — co-operative  work — all 
energies  directed  to  the  one  great 
end.  The  result  was  the  most  mag- 
nificent building  the  world  has  ever 


/ 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      133 


seen.  That  was  practical  lay  co- 
operation, and  what  the  Church  of 
Christ  needs  to-day  is  more  of  it.  It 
is  only  as  every  man  finds  his  work 
and  strives  to  do  it  that  the  Church 
will  leap  forward  with  sudden, 
mighty  and  victorious  strides  toward 
her  day  of  glory. 

Now,  the  grand  triumph  of  the 
kingdom  is  coming,  we  may  be  sure 
of  that ;  but  it  is  to  be  hastened  only 
as  all  God's  people  arouse  to  do 
their  part.  Not  simply  as  the  watch- 
men on  the  walls  of  Zion  do  their 
duty,  but  as  the  multitudes  of  the 
saved  go  out  after  the  multitudes 
who  are  not  saved.  What  is  needed 
is  more  of  that  life-giving,  vitalizing 
fire  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  which  will 
arouse  every  individual  Christian  to 
earnest,  consecrated,  soul-winning 
work.  "Every  church  a  band  of  mis- 
sionaries" is  the  title  we  have  seen 
of  a  tract.  We  have  never  read  the 
tract,  but  the  title  is  very  suggestive. 
A  good  deal  has  been  said  of  late 
about  the  importance  of  having  "able 
ministers"  in  our  pulpits,  and  no 
doubt  it  is  important.  But  might  it 
not  be  well  to  call  the  attention  of 
the  members  of  our  churches  to  the 
fact  that  it  is  more  important  that 
they  should  be  able  workers  than 
that  they  should  have  able  pastors ; 
especially  such  as  fill  that  popular 
idea  of  men  usually  gifted  as  public 
speakers  and  sermonizers?  Only  as 
our  churches  become  bands  of  mis- 
sionaries— only  as  they  become  bands 
of  "able  workers,"  in  fact  only  as 
the  rank  and  file  of  Christians  are 
enlisted  in  active  service  for  Christ, 
will  his  kingdom  advance  as  it 
ought. — H. 

The  Blood 

I.  Peace  has  been  made  through 
the  blood.     Col.  1 :  20. 

II.  Justified  by  the  blood.  Rom. 
5:9. 

III.  Redemption  by  the  blood. 
Eph.  1:7. 

IV.  This  redemption  is  eternal. 
Heb.  9:11-14;  Heb.   10:10-15. 

V.  Cleansed  by  the  blood.  1  John 
1:7;  Rev.  1:5;  Rev.  7 :  14. 

VI.  We  enter  into  the  holiest  by 
the  blood.     Heb.  10:19. 

VII.  Overcome  in  heaven  by  the 
blood.     Rev.  12:11. 

VIII.  Then  sing  the  song  forever 
to  the  blood  of  the  lamb.     Rev.  5 : 9. 

— Rev.  J.  R.  Dean. 


The  New  Testament  Salvation 

I.  What  it  is— 

(1)  Love  of  God  revealed  to  men. 
John  3 :  16. 

(2)  Son-ship  for  those  who  receive 
him.     John  1  :  12. 

II.  What  it  leads  to— 

(1)  Confession  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ.  Matt.  16 :  16 ;  1  John  4:2; 
5:1. 

(2)  Opposition.  John  9:22:  12: 
42,  43. 

III.  What    it    involves — 

(1)  Life-long  service.     Rev.  2:10. 
Eph.  6,  for  parents  4 ;  children  1 ; 

husbands  25-28;  wives  22;  masters 
(employers)  9;  servants  (employes) 
5;  and  Christians  Eph.  5:  15-17; 
workers  Matt.  11:29,  30;  27:19, 
20. 

(2)  The  Purifying  of  life.  1  John 
3:3. 

IV.  What  are  the  results — 

(1)  Lead  us  into  his  likeness. 
Eph.  4:15;   Ps.  17:15. 

(2)  Everlasting    life.      Heb.    5:9. 

Frank  D.  Stanley. 

In   Name   of  Jesus 

I.  Salvation  in  the  name.  Acts 
4:12. 

II.  Prayer  in  the  name.  Jno.  14: 
13,  14 ;  Jno.  16 :  23,  24. 

III.  Gathered  in  the  name.  Matt. 
18 :  20. 

IV.  Do  all  in  the  name.  1  Cor. 
10:3. 

V.  Service  in  the  name.  Acts  4: 
17,  18. 

VI.  Suffering  in  the  name.  Acts 
5:41. 

VII.  Discipline  in  the  name.  1  Cor. 
5 : 4,  5. 

VIII.  Exalting  in  the  name.  Phil. 
2:9-11. 

—Rev.  H.  P.  Welton,  D.D. 

Jesus  Is   Able 

Having  been  given  "all  power," 
Matt.  28 :  18,  and  having  destroyed 
the  works  of  the  devil,  1  John,  3 : 8, 
Jesus  is  able  to, 

I.  Save  to  the  uttermost.  Heb. 
7:25. 

II.  Make  all  grace  abound.  2  Cor. 
9:8. 

III.  Succor  the  tempted.  Heb. 
2:18. 

IV.  Make  us  stand.    Rom.  14:4. 

V.  Keep  us  from  falling.    Jude  24. 

VI.  Subdue  all  things.     Phil.  3  :  21. 

VII.  Keep  that  committed  to  him. 
2  Tim.  1 :  12. 


134 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


VIII.  Perform  what  he  has  prom- 
ised.    Rom.  4:  21. 

IX.  Do  above  all  we  ask  or  think. 
Eph.  3 :  20. 

Knowing  his  grace  and  power,  shall 
we  not  come  and  say,  "Yea,  Lord"? 
Matt.  9:28. 

— F.  S.  Shepard. 

Brazen   Serpent 

Numbers  21 :  4-9 ;  John  3 :  14. 

I.  Discouragement  is  always  from 
the  devil.  V.  4. 

II.  The  path  of  murmuring  is  full 
of  stings.     V.  5. 

III.  We  "speak  against  God"  when 
we  complain  of  our  lot.     V.  5. 

IV.  Each  new  sin  brings  a  new 
penalty.     V.  6. 

V.  We  are  reminded  of  our  sin 
through  our   suffering.     V.  7. 

VI.  Heartfelt  confession  is  a  sign 
of  wholesome   recovery.     V.   7. 

VII.  Looking   is   believing.     V.  8. 

VIII.  Look  and  live — look  or  die. 
V.  8. 

IX.  Look  not  upon  faith  or  feeling 
but  look  at  Christ.    V.  9. 

Salvation    by   Faith 

Acts  16:25-34;  Believe  in  him — ■ 
Shall  be  saved. 

John  3:  16,  18,  36;  Psa.  9:17; 
John   1 :  12  ;   Received  him. 

John  5:24;  My  word-^Hath— 
Shall  not — Is. 

John  6 :  47 ;  He  that  believeth — 
Hath. 

John  6:40;  His  will — Everlasting 
—I  will. 

Acts  13:  38,  39;  By  him— Justified. 

Not   by   Works 

John  6:25-29;  This  is  the  work- 
Believe. 

Rom.  3:  19-26;  By  deeds— Not  jus- 
tified. 

1.  God  of  the  Father  (2:13)  of 
the  Son. 

Rom.  3:28;  By  faith— Without 
deeds. 

Rom.  4:5;  Worketh  not— But  be- 
lieveth. 

Rom.  5:1;  Faith — Peace  with  God. 
Rom.  15  :  13  ;  Isa.  26 :  3 ;  Eph.  2 :  8,  9; 
By  grace — Gift. 

Not  of  works.    Gal.  2: 16,  21. 

God  demands  faith.  Acts  17:20, 
31 ;  1  John  3 :  23. 


III.  By  the  resurrection  of  Christ. 
Rom.  4:25. 

IV.  By  knowledge.     Isa.  53:11. 

V.  By  faith.     Rom.  5:1. 

VI.  By  Jesus'  name  and  the  Spirit. 
1  Cor.  6:11. 

VII.  By  works.     Jas.  2:24. 

VIII.  By  the  Lord.    Rom.  8 :  33. 

— Xan  Mere. 

Christ  Jesus,  the   Sin-Bearer 

Behold  the  Lamb  of  God.  Jno. 
1:29. 

By  his  stripes  healed.     Isa.  53 :  5. 

Christ  hath  redeemed.     Gal.  3 :  13. 

Who  bare  our  sins.     1  Pet.  2 :  24. 

One  sacrifice  for  sins.  Heb.  10: 
12-14. 

Forgiveness  of  sins.    Acts  13  :  38,  39. 

Purged  our  sins.     Heb.  1 :  3. 

To  take  away  our  sins.    1  Jno.  3 :  5. 

It  is  finished.    Jno.  19:30. 

— James  Sprunt. 

The    Holy    Spirit 

Personality  and  office  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

I.  Personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

(1)  Study  and  mark  Christ's  twen- 
ty-two pronouns  in  speaking  of  him 
in  John  14:16,  17,  26;  15:26;  16:7- 
14. 

(2)  May  be  grieved — has  feeling. 
Eph.  4 : 3. 

(3)  May  be  blasphemed.  Luke  12 : 
10. 

(4)  Is  distinct  from  Father  and 
Son.  Luke  3:22;  Matt.  28:19;  2 
Cor.  13:14;  1  Cor.  12:3;  John  16: 
14. 

II.  Office  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
Church. 

(1)  To  convict  of  sin.    John  16:8. 

(2)  To  impart  the  new  birth. 
John  3:5,  6. 

(3)  To  testify  to  the  new  life. 
Rom.  8 :  16. 

(4)  To  refine  and  purify  the  heart. 
Acts  15  :  8,  9. 

(5)  To  impart  the  love  of  God. 
Rom.  5 : 1-5. 

(6)  To  give  power  in  prayer. 
Rom.  8:26. 

(7)  To  give  power  to  witness  for 
Christ.     Acts   1 :  8. 

(8)  Transform  and  glorify  the 
Christian  life.  2  Cor.  3:18.  Won- 
derful.— Rev.  Frank  A.  Miller. 


How  Are  We  Justified 

I.  By  Grace.     Rom.  3:24. 

II.  By  the  Blood  of  Christ. 
5:9. 


Wisdom 

Worldly      definition :      "Pleasure  " 
Rom.      "fame,"    "culture,"    "wealth."      God's 
judgment  in.     1  Cor.  3  :  19. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      135 


I.  True  definition.  Job  28 :  28 ; 
Prov.  9:10. 

II.  Worth  of  wisdom.  Job  28: 13- 
19;   Prov.  8:11. 

III.  The  source  of  wisdom.  Job 
28 :  20-23. 

IV.  Our  duty,  "Seek."  Prov.  8: 
33-35. 

V.  The  New  Testament  idea  cen- 
ters in  Christ.     Eph.  3:8-11. 

VI.  Three  prayers  of  Paul.  Eph. 
1 :  15-23 ;  Eph.  3  :  14-21 ;  Col.  1 :  9-11. 

VII.  How  can  we  secure  wis- 
dom? 

(1)  Prayer.     Jas.  1:5. 

(2)  The  Bible.    2  Tim.  3 :  13-17. 

(3)  The  Holy  Spirit.    Jno.  14:26. 

— Rev.  H.  M.  Morey. 

Meeting     Temptation:     After     the 
Revival 

"Watch  and  pray,  that  ye  enter  not 
into  temptation ;  the  spirit  indeed  is 
willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak."  Matt. 
26:41. 

Life  is  full  of  peril.  Satan  is  no 
superstitious  myth ;  but  an  actual 
foe,  "going  about  like  a  roaring  lion 
seeking  whom  he  may  devour." 
Cunning,  powerful  and  treacherous, 
he  hates  God  and  hates  the  good. 
He  tempted  Christ.  He  wanted  to 
"sift"  Peter.  And  he  wants  to  sift 
us  too.  Two  things  he  especially 
tries  to  do  with  us :  to  draw  us 
back  into  his  service,  or,  failing  in 
that,  to  make  us  just  as  inefficient  as 
possible  in  Christian  work.  To  make 
us  inefficient  he  first  attempts  to  lead 
us  into  sin.  Yielding  to  sin  he 
knows  makes  cowards  of  us.  Our 
cowardice  discourages  us  in  the 
Christian  life ;  and  once  discouraged 
we  are  almost  no  use  in  Christian 
work,  for  as  Mr.  Moody  says,  "God 
seldom  uses  discouraged  Christians." 
But  Satan's  real  purpose  is  to  destroy 
us.  As  Jael  did  with  Sisera,  so 
Satan  would  first  put  us  to  sleep,  and 
then  kill  us. 

_  But  how  are  we  to  meet  tempta- 
tion? What  are  some  of  the  con- 
ditions of  victory? 

I.  The  first  condition  is  heart  con- 
secration— the  being  wholly  and  loy- 
ally Christ's. 

It  is  not  difficult  for  a  bridegroom 
to  be  faithful  to  his  bride  if  he  has 
given  himself  wholly,  loyally  and 
lovingly  to  her.  Temptation  is  dis- 
armed by  his  consecration  to  her  and 
to  her  alone.  So  Satan  may  be  very 
strong,  but  he  loses  his  power  over 


us  when  we  are  sanctified  wholly  to 
Christ. 

II.  A  second  condition  of  victory 
we  may  call  strategy. 

By  strategy  is  the  way  some  armies 
succeed  in  war.  It  is  one  way  the 
Christian  can  succeed  in  the  battle 
with  Satan.  Paul  gives  us  a  hint  of 
what  this  means  when  he  says :  "Be 
not  overcome  of  evil,  but  overcome 
evil  with  good."  It  is  possible  to  have 
our  hearts  and  hands  so  occupied 
with  things  that  are  good  that  Satan 
can  find  no  place  in  us. 

We  once  saw  Mr.  Moody  at  a 
meeting  pick  up  a  glass  and,  holding 
it  before  the  audience,  ask,  "How 
can  I  get  the  air  out  of  this  glass?" 
There  was  no  response.  Reaching 
for  a  pitcher  of  water  he  poured  the 
glass  full  to  overflowing.  He  then 
said  that  every  particle  of  air  had 
been  emptied  from  the  glass.  Just  so 
can  we  keep  Satan  and  the  world 
and  worldly  things  out  of  our  hearts. 
It  is  by  filling  them  with  the  things 
of  Christ  and  of  the  Spirit.  This  is 
wise  strategy.  It  is  dispossession  by 
preoccupation.  It  is  a  most  success- 
ful way  of  overcoming  Satan  and 
his  wiles. 

III.  Let  us  avoid  temptations  not 
in  the  path  of  duty. 

We  pray,  "Lead  us  not  into  temp- 
tation, but  deliver  us  from  evil." 
Let  us  not  expose  ourselves  to  un- 
necessary temptations. 

We  know  a  man  who  professed 
conversion.  His  besetting  sin  had 
been  drunkenness.  But  upon  claim- 
ing to  be  converted  he  said  he  would 
prove  its  genuineness  by  going  to 
the  city,  passing  by  all  the  saloons 
and  coming  home  as  sober  as  he 
went.  It  can  be  no  surprise  to  any- 
one to  know  that,  having  gone  in 
that  spirit,  he  came  home  as  drunk  as 
ever.  He  met  needless  temptation, 
and  not  in  the  way  of  his  duty.  Pray 
the  Lord  to  keep  you  from  pre- 
sumptuous sins,  and  carefully  avoid 
all  temptations  not  in  the  way  of 
duty. 

IV.  But  temptations  will  come: 
What  then  ? 

(1)  Watch.  Keep  the  citadel. 
"Keep  thy  heart  with  all  diligence, 
for  out  of  it  are  the  issues  of  life." 
Watch  every  avenue  by  which  the 
enemy  makes  his  approach. 

(2)  Pray.  Pray  for  a  way  of  es- 
cape if  God  will  vouchsafe  that  to 
you.     If  he  cannot  grant  you  that, 


136 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


pray  for  help  and  strength  to  resist 
and  overcome  in  open,  face-to-face 
battle  with  the  powers  of  darkness. 
Offer  unwavering  resistance.  Men 
and  devils  may  tempt,  but  men  and 
devils  cannot  force  us  to  yield. 
Luther  used  to  say :  "We  cannot 
keep  the  birds  from  flying  over  our 
heads,  but  we  can  prevent  them  from 
building  their  nests  in  our  hair."  So 
we  cannot  prevent  temptations  from 
whispering  in  our  ears,  but  we  can 
prevent  them  from  making  their 
nests  in  our  hearts.  No  one  can  com- 
pel us  to  sin ;  and  it  is  possible  to 
come  out  of  the  fiercest  struggle  with 
evil  with  clean  hands  and  untarnished 
spirit  and  a  conscience  void  of  of- 
fence toward  God  and  men.  "Blessed 
is  the  man  that  endureth  temptation, 
for  when  he  is  tried  he  shall  receive 
the  crown  of  life,  which  the  Lord 
hath  promised  to  them  that  love 
him."— H. 

Growth   in    Grace:   After   the   Re- 
vival 

"But  grow  in  grace  and  in  the 
knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ."    2  Peter  3:  18. 

A  living  thing  ought  to  grow.  No 
growth,  no  life,  is  the  rule.  If  as 
Christians  we  do  not  grow  then  either 
we  have  become  formalists,  having 
"a  name  to  live  but  dead,"  having  a 
"form  of  godliness  but  denying  the 
power  thereof,"  or  we  have  gone 
back  into  the  world  and  have  be- 
come as  bad  or  worse  than  we  ever 
were. 

I.  The  nature  of  growth  in  grace. 

(1)  It  is  gradual.  One  does  not 
become  perfected  in  Christian  life 
suddenly.  It  is  a  progressive  devel- 
opment. 

(2)  Its  foundation  is  knowledge. 
It  is  as  we  grow  in  the  knowledge 
of  Christ  and  acquaintance  with  him 
that  we  grow  in  likeness  to  him. 

(3)  It  ought  to  be  constant.  In 
religion  we  cannot  depend  on  change- 
ful frames  and  excitement.  But  we 
ought  increasingly  to  be  "strength- 
ened by  might  in  the  inner  man." 
This  will  come  by  attention  to  every 
means  of  grace,  the  private  acts  of 
devotion,  the  public  worship  of  God's 
house,  Christian  activity,  etc. 

II.  Some  signs  of  growth  in  grace. 
(1)  The    seeing    of    our    sins.      A 

growing  Christian  will  become  in- 
creasingly conscious  of  sin.  Such  an 
one   is   tempted   sometimes    to    think 


that  he  is  even  growing  worse  every 
day.  In  a  room  full  of  loathsome 
things  where  one  ray  of  light  is  ad- 
mitted, we  see  a  few  of  them ;  when 
more  light  comes  in  we  see  more  of 
the  horrors.  So  if  we  are  seeing 
more  of  the  sinfulness  of  our  hearts 
each  day,  it  is  a  sign  that  increasing 
spiritual  light  is  being  admitted. 

(2)  Increasing  watchfulness  against 
sin.  If  we  find  ourselves  guarding 
against  our  besetting  sins  with  new 
determination,  watching  against  our 
peculiar  temptations  and  striving  to 
overcome  them,  it  is  another  sign 
that  we  are  growing  in  grace. 

(3)  Growing  self-denial  of  personal 
indulgence. 

(4)  Growing  conscientiousness. 

(5)  Increasing  spiritual  Handed- 
ness. 

(6)  Bearing  injuries  with  patience 
and  meekness. 

(7)  Increasing  desire  for  the  sal- 
vation of  others. 

(8)  Growing  dependence  upon 
God's  promises,  especially  in  hours 
of  darkness  and  trials. 

(9)  A  desire  for  God's  glory. 

By  these  signs  anyone  can  test 
whether  he  is  really  growing  in  grace 
or  not. 

III.  How  to  grow  in  grace,  or 
make  progress  in  the  Christian  life. 

(1)  Aim  to  do  something  to  that 
end  every  day.  The  mistake  we  are 
liable  to  make  is  of  making  general 
resolutions  to  do  good  without  car- 
rying them  out  in  particular  direc- 
tions. 

(2)  Remember  that  your  depend- 
ence is  on  the  Holy  Spirit ;  therefore 
pray  much.  Make  personal  effort  as 
if  all  depended  upon  you ;  at  the 
same  time  pray  as  if  all  depended 
upon  God. 

(3)  Study  the  Bible.  Take  time  to 
study.  Take  time  to  meditate  upon 
it.  Sit  at  Jesus'  feet  and  learn  of 
him. 

{4)  Practice  self-denial  every  day. 
Be  watchful  against  conformity  to 
the  world.  Do  not  give  up  to  your 
appetites  and  passions.  Be  not  self- 
centered. 

(5)  Resolve  to  do  more,  work 
more,  give  more,  etc.  There  are  a 
great  many  hindrances  to  growth  in 
grace  that  we  ought  to  guard  against. 
Worldly  companionship ;  too  deep 
engrossment  in  business ;  the  giving 
of  too  much  importance  to  our  own 
pleasure  and  amusement;  the  walk- 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      137 


ing  on  the  verge  of  dishonesty ;  re- 
lapse into  known  sin ;  such  things 
greatly  hinder  the  Christian's  growth. 
There  is  danger  when  we  step  back 
of  our  falling.  Like  the  painter  mak- 
ing a  fresco  on  a  building,  stepping 
back  to  admire,  he  became  so  en- 
grossed that  he  forgot  that  he  was 
high  on  a  scaffolding.  He  fell  to  the 
bottom  and  was  killed  on  the  marble 
pavement  below.  Be  careful  not  to 
be  so  interested  in  other  things  as 
to  forget  your  obligations  to  God. — 
H. 

Need  and  Supply:  After  the  Re- 
vival 

"My  God  shall  supply  all  your 
need,  according  to  his  riches  in  glory 
by  Christ  Jesus."     Phil.  4 :  19. 

Paul  and  his  colleagues  were  poor. 
The  Philippian  Christians  had  met 
some  of  their  wants,  and  Paul  de- 
clares his  firm  belief  that  God  would 
enrich  them  for  it  out  of  the  glorious 
treasures  of  his  providence  and  grace. 
"My  God,"  etc.  This  has  been  called 
"The  Believer's  Banknote."  It  is 
good  for  blessings  for  body  and  soul, 
for  time  and  eternity. 

I.  The  Christian's  needs.  "Shall 
supply  all  your  needs." 

This  is  not  a  promise  that  God  will 
gratify  all  our  wishes  or  whims.  He 
will  supply  what  he  sees  to  be  our 
needs.  It  is  the  same  thought  as  the 
Psalmist  had  when  he  said  that  the 
Lord  being  his  shepherd  he  should 
not  want  anything  really  good  for 
him.  But  how  many  our  real  needs 
are :  Needs  for  the  body,  needs  for 
the  soul,  needs  for  our  families,  needs 
for  the  present,  needs  for  the  future, 
needs  for  time,  needs  for  eternity; 
our  needs  are  as  many  as  our  mo- 
ments. Every  sincere  Christian  can 
say  with  the  saintly  Gotthold,  "My 
soul  is  like  a  hungry  and  thirsty  child, 
and  I  need  his  love  and  consolation 
for  my  refreshment ;  I  am  like  a  wan- 
dering and  lost  sheep,  and  I  need 
him  as  a  good  and  faithful  shep- 
herd; I  am  a  feeble  vine,  and  I  need 
his  righteousness ;  I  am  in  trouble 
and  alarm,  and  need  his  solace ;  I  am 
ignorant,  and  I  need  his  teaching; 
simple  and  foolish,  and  I  need  the 
guidance  of  his  Holy  Spirit;  in  no 
situation,  and  at  no  time  can  I  do 
without  him." 

II.  The  source  of  supply.  "My 
God   shall  supply." 

"Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect 


gift  is  from  above  and  cometh  down 
from  the  Father  of  lights,  with  whom 
is  no  variableness,  neither  shadow  of 
turning."  God  will  supply  all  our 
needs.  Nobody  else  can.  He  can. 
Paul's  God  is  the  God  of  providence. 
"He  openeth  his  hand  and  supplieth 
the  wants  of  every  living  thing."  He 
is  also  the  God  of  grace.  "My  grace 
is  sufficient  for  thee."  He  is  also  the 
God  of  Heaven.  He  has  wonderful 
riches  in  reserve  there. 

III.  The  measure  of  supply.  "Ac- 
cording to  his  riches  in  glory." 

God  is  a  glorious  giver.  Whatever 
he  does  is  done  in  a  way  worthy  of 
himself.  He  gives  in  a  style  that  be- 
comes his  wealth  (what  the  rich  of 
earth  do  not  frequently  do).  He 
gives  like  a  king — according  to  his 
riches.  Sometimes  his  blessings  seem 
too  much  for  us  to  receive;  but  he 
reassures  us  by  saying  that  they  are 
not  too  much  for  him  to  give.  The 
"riches  of  his  grace"  are  the  treas- 
ures of  the  Bank  of  Heaven,  to  which 
all  believers  have  free  access,  and  for 
all  time.  Jesus  told  his  disciples  to 
ask,  that  their  joy  might  be  full. 
We  might  hesitate  to  make  too  large 
a  draft  upon  an  earthly  friend,  but 
there  is  no  need  to  draw  light  upon 
God, 

"For  his  grace  and  power  are  such 
None  can  ever  ask  too  much." 

IV.  The  medium  of  this  supply. 
"By  Christ  Jesus."  Christ  is  God's 
only  begotten  and  well  beloved  son, 
therefore  nothing  is  too  good,  noth- 
ing too  great  to  give  for  his  sake. 
Through  Christ  we  have  atonement. 
Through  Christ  we  have  a  channel 
of  communication  with  God.  God  is 
in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  to 
himself.  All  the  promises  of  God 
are  in  him  "yea  and  amen,"  and  only 
in  him.  Everything  through  Christ, 
and  nothing  without  him.  When 
that  name  is  mentioned  the  gates  of 
heaven,  and  of  all  heavenly  bene- 
diction, fly  open. — H. 

Christians  as  Epistles:  Post  Re- 
vival 

"Epistles  .  .  .  known  and  read  of 
all  men  .  .  .  written  not  with  ink," 
etc.    2  Cor.  3:2,  3. 

The  lives  of  true  Christians  at 
Corinth  served  as  letters  to  recom- 
mend both  Paul  the  servant  and 
Christ   the    Lord.      Men    read    men. 


138 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


Living  epistles  are  read  when  Bible 
epistles  are  not. 

Five  things  about  these  letters  are 
mentioned : 

(1)  The  tablet  on  which  the  writ- 
ing is  made — "Fleshy  tables  of  the 
heart." 

(2)  The  writing.  Not  Christian- 
ity printed  in  creeds,  but  the  "mind 
of  Christ"  legible  in  lives. 

(3)  The  writer.  "The  Spirit  of 
the  living  God."  Without  him  we 
can  do  nothing. 

(4)  The  pen.  God  uses  human  in- 
struments. He  used  Paul.  He  uses 
us. 

(5)  The  readers.  They  are  many. 
They  read  with  varying  motives ; 
some  to  comment  on  us  favorably, 
many  to  do  so  unfavorably. 

I.  Observe,  first,  that  every  one's 
life  is  an  open  letter. 

(1)  Addressed  to  the  world  and 
challenging  inspection.    Matt.  5  :  14. 

(2)  The  challenge  is  accepted  and 
men  read  and  judge  us.     Acts  4:13. 

II.  Notice,  also,  our  life-letter 
should  be  clearly  written,  so,  easily 
read.     Matt.  3  :  18. 

(1)  Therefore  be  not  secret  Chris- 
tians, but  confess  Christ  openly. 
Mark  3 :  38. 

(2)  Then  show  forth  a  plain  and 
legible  life.  How  many  life-epistles 
are  so  scribbled  we  can  hardly  make 
them  out.    Isa.  43  :  10. 

(3)  Consider  yourself  employed  of 
God  to  reveal  Christ.     Acts  1 :  8. 

III.  Bear  in  mind,  also,  how  many, 
many  are  the  readers.  "Known  and 
read  of  all  men."  Christian  lives 
are  about  the  only  religious  books 
the  world  reads.  Outsiders  form 
their  impressions  of  Christianity,  not 
as  it  is  revealed  in  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, but  as  it  is  revealed  in  us. 
They  do  not  study  God's  word,  but 
they  do  study  church  members.  Let 
us  be  careful  to  reveal  only  "the 
truth  as  it   is  in  Jesus." 

IV.  Lastly,  remember  that,  like  all 
reading,  what  men  read  in  this  way 
has  great  influence  upon  them.  Acts 
5:15. 

(1)  This  gives  us  great  opportu- 
nity for  good.  For  we  may  lead 
men  to  Christ. 

(2)  It  also  carries  great  possibili- 
ties of  evil.  For  we  may  drive  men 
from   Christ. 

Christian,  be  a  reflector  of  Christ. 
If  ever  such  living  was  needed  it  is 
now.    And  pure  lives  are  possible — 


as  possible  as  the  pearl  in  the  sea, 
but  not  salty;  as  the  fair  lily  in  the 
foul  pond,  or  as  a  firefly  passing 
through  the  flame  unscorched.  In 
the  world,  but  not  of  it,  let  us  be 
living  epistles,  known  and  read  of  all 
men. — H. 

Being  Faithful:  After  the   Revival 

"Moreover  it  is  required  of  stew- 
ards that  a  man  be  found  faithful." 
1  Cor.  4 :  12. 

I.  Faithfulness  implies,  first,  a  firm 
adherence  to  the  person  of  Christ. 
It  means  loyalty.  It  is  required  of 
us  as  Christian  stewards  that  we  be 
found  faithful  and  loyal  to  our  Mas- 
ter. The  whole  world  joins  in  exe- 
crating a  deserter.  He  is  hated  by 
enemy  and  friend  alike.  No  one  has 
any  respect  for  the  Benedict  Arnolds 
and  Aaron  Burrs.  Their  names  are 
hated  not  only  in  America,  but  in 
every  civilized  land.  What  is  wanted 
is  fidelity  to  Christ.  Like  the  Roman 
soldier  taking  the  oath  of  allegiance, 
so  we  bind  ourselves  to  fight  with 
and  for  him  even  unto  death. 

II.  This  fidelity  implies,  again,  a 
careful  and  exact  performance  of  the 
duties  he  assigns  us.  It  is  required 
in  a  steward  that  he  be  found  faith- 
ful ;  that  means  reliable  in  his  work. 
That  is  a  prime  quality  in  all  busi- 
ness or  professional  success.  Busi- 
ness houses  want  clerks  who  are  re- 
liable. Manufacturers  want  men  who 
are  reliable.  The  call  everywhere  is 
for  men  of  fidelity  and  reliability. 

In  a  terrible  gale  of  1851  the  beau- 
tiful lighthouse  on  Minot's  Ledge, 
near  Boston,  was  destroyed.  Two 
men  were  in  it  at  the  time.  A 
great  multitude  gathered  on  the  shore 
waiting  in  anxious  distress  to  witness 
its  expected  fall.  But  every  hour  the 
bell  tolled  the  time,  and  constantly 
the  light  shone  out  into  the  dark- 
ness to  warn  the  sailor  from  the 
dangerous  spot.  No  wind  could  si- 
lence the  bell ;  no  wave  extinguish 
the  light.  But  at  last  one  wave,  one 
giant  wave,  mightier  than  all  the 
rest,  rose  up  and  threw  its  arms 
around  the  tower  and  laid  it  low  in 
the  sea.  Then  alone  was  the  bell 
silent.  Then  alone  did  the  light 
cease  to  shine.  Just  such  faithful- 
ness to  duty  as  was  shown  by  those 
lighthouse  keepers  is  the  fidelity  we 
should  show  to  the  duties  Christ  as- 
signs us. 

III.  This    fidelity    implies,    again, 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      139 


firm  adhesion  to  the  party  of  Christ. 

There  are  but  two  parties,  one  for, 
one  against.  "Ye  cannot  serve  God 
and  mammon."  Be  loyal  to  the 
people  of  Christ,  the  Church  of 
Christ,  the  cause  of  Christ. 

IV.  This  fidelity  implies  also  faith- 
ful continuance  in  well-doing. 

"Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and 
I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life." 
There  is  nothing  in  the  history  of 
Pompeii  that  invests  it  with  a  deeper 
interest  than  the  spot  where  a  soldier 
of  Rome  displayed  a  most  heroic 
fidelity.  That  fatal  day  on  which 
Vesuvius,  at  whose  feet  the  city 
stood,  burst  out  into  an  eruption  that 
shook  the  earth,  a  sentinel  kept 
watch  by  the  gate  which  looked  on 
the  burning  mountain.  Amidst  the 
fearful  disorder  the  sentinel  had  been 
forgotten;  and  as  Rome  required  her 
sentinels,  happen  what  might,  to  hold 
their  posts  until  relieved  by  the  guard 
or  set  at  liberty  by  other  officers, 
he  had  to  choose  between  death  and 
honor.  Pattern  of  fidelity,  he  stands 
by  his  post !  Slowly  but  surely  the 
ashes  rise  on  his  manly  form ;  now 
they  reach  his  breast,  and  now  cov- 
ering his  lips  they  choke  his  breath- 
ing. He  also  "was  faithful  unto 
death."  After  seventeen  centuries 
they  have  found  his  skeleton  stand- 
ing erect  in  a  marble  niche  clad  in 
its  rusty  armor,  the  helmet  on  his 
empty  skull,  and  his  bony  fingers  still 
closing  upon  his  spear.  Be  thou, 
fellow  Christians,  likewise  faithful 
unto  death,  and  yours  shall  be  a 
crown  of  eternal  life  and  glory. — H. 

Some  Soldier  Qualities  for  Chris- 
tians:  Post   Revival 

"Fight  the  good  fight  of  faith." 
1  Tim.  6  :  12. 

Religion  is  an  appeal  to  the  hero 
qualities  in  a  man  or  woman.  The 
Christian  life  is  not  a  thing  to  be 
entered  into  lightly  or  with  the 
thought  of  ease.  We  shall  not  be 
carried  to  the  skies  on  flowery  beds 
of  ease.  No,  we  must  fight  if  we 
would  reign. 

But  it  is  a  "good  fight" ;  that  is,  it 
is  a  fight  in  a  good  cause  and  worthv 
of  our  effort.  It  is  a  happy  thing 
also  that  it  is  so  much  easier  to  fight 
when  we  know  that  the  cause  is  a 
good  one. 

What  are  some  of  the  special  quali- 
ties a  soldier  must  possess  in  order 
to  fight  well?     Let  us  think  of  some 


of  them,  that  we  may  be  led  to  ex- 
ercise them. 

I.  The  first  we  mention  is  self- 
denial. 

(1)  On  one  side,  self-denial  means 
simply  the  giving  up  of  self,  as  does 
a  soldier  when  he  enlists.  The  Chris- 
tian gives  up  himself.  With  this  he 
also  gives  up  selfishness  and  self- 
indulgence  and  sin.  The  athlete  de- 
nies himself  harmful  luxuries  that 
he  may  be  strong. 

(2)  But  self-denial  has  a  positive 
side.  It  thinks  of  the  good  of 
others.  It  is  not  easy  for  the  soldier 
to  enlist  and  leave  behind  home  and 
friends  and  personal  interests.  But 
he  gives  them  up  for  the  good  of 
his  country.  The  missionary  going 
to  China  must  practice  much  self- 
denial  in  these  directions.  But  he  is 
thinking  of  the  salvation  of  souls. 
There  is  plenty  of  room  in  the  Chris- 
tian life  to  display  this  soldier  vir- 
tue of  self-denial.  It  is  a  quality 
we  all  need  in  order  to  fight  the  good 
fight  of  faith. 

II.  A  second  quality  which  the 
good  soldier  must  possess  is  courage. 

The  Christian  life  is  a  moral  con- 
flict which  calls  for  courage  of  the 
highest  type.  For  a  young  man  to 
throw  up  a  lucrative  position  rather 
than  connive  at  dishonesty  or  engage 
in  a  wrong  transaction,  is  not  an 
easy  thing  to  do.  For  a  young 
woman  to  keep  always  to  high  ideals 
and  scorn  to  do  anything  that  will 
compromise  her  Christian  character 
requires  courage.  Some  of  these 
things  take  as  much  courage  as  it 
did  for  Knox  to  defy  kings  or  for 
Luther  to  face  the  anathemas  of 
Rome. 

III.  A  third  necessary  quality  a 
good  soldier  must  possess  is  the  spirit 
and  habit  of  obedience. 

The  Christian  soldier's  true  attitude 
toward  the  Captain  of  his  salvation 
is  this  :  "Speak,  Lord,  for  thy  servant 
heareth ;"  or  this,  "Lord,  what  wilt 
thou  have  me  to  do?"  or  this,  "Here 
am  I,  send  me."  It  is  the  attitude  of 
quick,  instant,  unquestioning,  affec- 
tionate obedience. 

And  such  obedience  is  born  only 
of  personal  devotion.  This  is,  in- 
deed, the  heart  of  the  whole  matter. 
The  measure  of  our  self-denial,  cour- 
age and  obedience  will  depend  upon 
the  measure  of  our  devotion  to  the 
Captain  of  our  Salvation.  No  won- 
der that  men  who  earned  the  love  and 


HO 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


personal  loyalty  of  their  soldiers,  like 
Howard,  and  Nelson,  and  Havelock, 
and  Phil  Sheridan,  and  Grant,  and 
Foch  won  so  many  battles.  How  in- 
finitely worthy  fs  our  Leader!  How 
sincerely  should  we  love  him!  How 
devotedly  should  we  follow  him ! 
How  valiantly  and  bravely  should  we 
battle  in  his  cause !  "Fight  the  good 
fight  of  faith !"— H. 

The    Secret    of    a    Strong    Heart: 
After  the   Revival 

"Wait  on  the  Lord :  be  of  good 
courage,  and  he  shall  strengthen 
thine  heart:  wait,  I  say,  on  the 
Lord."     Ps.  27 :  14. 

This  psalm  is  a  song  of  cheerful 
hope.  This  hopeful  attitude  was 
maintained  by  the  Psalmist  in  the 
face  of  the  fact  that  he  was  in  most 
distressing  circumstances.  From  the 
psalm  itself  we  gather  the  inferences 
that  he  was  pursued  by  enemies  (vs. 
2),  shut  away  from  God's  house  (vs. 
4),  parted  from  father  and  mother 
(vs.  10),  and  subject  to  the  opposi- 
tion of  slander  (vs.  12).  The  cir- 
cumstances seem  to  point  to  the  time 
when  Doeg,  the  Edomite,  spake 
against  him  to  Saul. 

It  is  also  a  psalm  of  personal  ex- 
perience. It  bears  testimony  to  per- 
sonal blessings  received,  and  of  as- 
surances growing  out  of  them.  It  is 
as  though  he  had  said :  "I  have  found 
the  Lord  my  light  and  my  salvation ; 
whom  then  shall  I  fear?  He  has 
proven  to  be  the  strength  of  my 
life ;  and  of  whom  then  shall  I  be 
afraid?  When  enemies,  wicked, 
many,  full  of  cruel  hate,  made  on- 
slaught to  destroy  me,  they  stumbled 
and  fell.  I  have  decided  that  though 
a  host  should  encamp  against  me,  I 
will  not  allow  my  heart  to  fail  me 
or  become  fluttered  by  fear;  yes, 
even  though  it  may  come  to  actual 
war  that  he  will  defend  me.  He 
will  hide  me  in  his  pavilion.  He  will 
give  me  the  best  shelter  in  the  worst 
danger.  A  royal  pavilion  is  erected 
in  the  center  of  the  army,  and  around 
it  all  the  mighty  men  keep  guard  at 
all  hours,  so  will  he  hide  me  in  this 
very  safest  place,  beside  my  King. 
Or  my  safety  will  be  as  one  in  the 
secret  of  his  tabernacle ;  not  at  the 
horns  of  the  altar  or  even  in  the 
holy  place  so  sacred,  but  as  it  were 
in  the  very  holy  of  holies, — the  in- 
ner chamber  of  Divine  presence  and 
protection.    If  not  thus  hidden,  then 


he  will  set  me  upon  a  rock,  in  some 
strong  tower  of  impregnable  situation 
and  defense.  I  had  fainted  had  I  not 
had  this  faith  and  felt  assured  thus 
of  the  goodness  and  love  of  God. 
But  I  have  tested  his  grace  and  his 
help;  my  faith  has  grown  out  of 
experience,  and  now  I  want  to  com- 
mend to  others  the  God  who  has 
been  so  good  to  me,  and  my  call  is 
to  all,  Wait  on  the  Lord ;  be  of  good 
courage,  and  he  shall  strengthen 
thine  heart;  wait,  I  say,  on  the 
Lord." 

The  center  of  that  promise  is  in 
the  assurance  of  having  the  heart 
strengthened.  This  is  what  we  all 
so  much  need  and  so  much  desire — 
strength  of  heart. 

I.  The  importance  of  strength  of 
heart. 

(1)  It  is  the  secret  of  confidence. 
We  will  make  no  effort  in  a  direc- 
tion in  which  we  have  no  confidence 
or  expectation   of  attainment. 

(2)  It  is  the  secret  of  courage. 
We  can  scarcely  "be  of  good  cour- 
age" without  possessing  first  some 
measure  of  confidence  of  success. 

(3)  It  is  the  secret  of  action.  A 
strong  heart  makes  a  strong  arm. 

(4)  It  is  the  secret  of  victory. 
Confidence,  courage  and  action  bring 
victory.  So  all  success  depends  upon 
possessing  a  strong  heart. 

II.  The  secret  of  a  strong  heart. 
A    strong   heart   is    usually    found 

through  some  of  the  various  ways  of 
"waiting  on  the   Lord." 

(1)  In  spiritual  meditation.  While 
we  muse  the  fire  burns.  Many 
Christians  are  weak  of  heart  and 
purpose  in  these  days  because  they 
live  in  such  a  hurry  and  do  not  take 
time  to  "wait  on  the  Lord"  in  the 
way  of  spiritual  thoughtfulness  and 
meditation.  We  need  more  "quiet 
hours,"  when  we  may  receive  grace 
and  strength  from  God.  Many  of 
the  mighty  men  of  faith  and  Chris- 
tian usefulness  of  the  past — men  like 
Richard  Baxter,  John  Bunyan,  etc. — 
were  men  of  much  spiritual  medita- 
tion. 

(2)  In  prayer.  It  is  in  the  act 
of  prayer  we  grow  strong  of  heart 
and  fitted  for  success  in  God's  cause. 
It  was  as  he  wrestled  with  God  that 
Jacob,  the  supplanter,  was  changed 
to  Israel,  the  prince  of  God;  with 
princely  power  with  God  and  men. 

(3)  In  Bible  study.  The  heart 
grows  strong  as  we  read  and  medi- 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      141 


tate  upon  God's  precious  promises, 
his  assurances  of  help,  study  his 
character  and  take  into  your  souls  his 
truth. 

(4)  In  the  use  of  the  other  means 
of  grace — attendance  at  the  house  of 
prayer,  union  with  fellow  believers 
in  the  privileges  of  the  sanctuary, 
and  actual  enlistment  in  Christian 
service.  These  are  all  ways  of  "wait- 
ing on  the  Lord"  in  the  steps  of 
obedience,  and  are  thus  all  ways  in 
which  the  heart  grows  strong. 

Are  you  lacking  in  the  spirit  of 
good  cheer  and  hopefulness  ?  Get 
closer  to  God  and  your  heart  will 
grow  strong.  Do  you  find  yourself 
lacking  in  Christian  courage?  Get 
near  enough  to  grasp  his  all-con- 
quering hand  and  you  will  be  able 
to  "do  exploits"  in  his  name.  Are 
you  conscious  of  a  sad  lack  of 
power  as  a  worker?  As  the  trolley 
pole  is  held  up  close  against  the  wire 
and  power  comes  down  to  move  the 
car,  so  hold  yourself  in  intimate  con- 
tact with  God ;  wait  upon  him,  keep 
near  enough  to  him  for  his  grace 
to  flow  into  your  soul,  and  you  will 
be  strong  for  his  service  and  have 
power  to  perform  wonders.  A  strong 
heart  is  necessary  to  success,  and 
the  secret  of  getting  that  strong  heart 
is  contact  with  God. — H. 

Being  God's  and  Serving  God: 
Post    Revival 

"Whose  I  am  and  whom  I  serve." 
Acts  27:23. 

This  sentence  from  the  lips  of 
Paul  is  worthy  of  being  used  as  a 
motto  by  every  young  Christian,  in- 
deed, by  every  Christian.  First, 
"Whose  I  am," — to  be  God's.  Then 
"Whom  I  serve," — to  serve  God. 
First,  belonging  to  God,  dedicated  to 
his  name,  given  over  to  his  owner- 
ship. Then  "Whom  I  serve,"  conse- 
crated to  his  cause,  kept  for  his  use, 
made  over  heart  and  hand  to  his 
service.  To  be  God's  and  to  serve 
God — who  could  imagine  a  higher 
ideal?  Such  an  aim  steadily  adhered 
to  would  make  any  life  noble. 

Let  us  follow  a  little  farther  this 
thought  of  being  God's.  It  implies 
the  full  dedication  of  ourselves  to 
him,  a  solemn  setting  ourselves  apart 
to  him  from  a  sense  of  duty.  The 
word  dedicate  is  from  de  and  dico, 
and  signifies  to  set  apart  by  a  prom- 
ise. 

(1)  It  implies,  first,  the   abstract- 


ing ourselves  from  all  other  claims 
of  ownership.  The  person  who  truly 
dedicates  himself  to  God  cannot  go 
on  serving  the  world,  the  flesh  and 
Satan. 

(2)  It  implies  not  alone  this  ab- 
stracting of  ourselves  from  other 
claims  or  ownership,  but  a  solemn 
act  of  giving  ourselves  to  God.  It 
must  partake  of  the  nature  of  such 
a  service  as  when  a  church  is  dedi- 
cated. It  is  an  act  of  setting  apart, 
a  consecration,  a  transfer  to  God's 
ownership  and  uses.  It  would  be  bet- 
ter for  us,  as  Christians,  if  we  made 
more  than  we  do  of  solemn  and  defi- 
nite acts  in  the  way  of  dedication  to 
God. 

Several  years  since  some  forty 
thousand  people  stood  on  the  shore 
and  watched  the  launching  of  the 
St.  Louis  in  the  Cramps'  shipyard. 
Most  of  the  stays  that  had  held  the 
great  liner  on  the  incline,  on  which 
she  had  been  built,  were  removed, 
and  yet  she  stood  there  motionless. 
Then,  amid  an  almost  audible  hush, 
the  order  was  given  in  answer  to 
which  great  mauls,  wielded  by  mighty 
arms,  broke  away  the  few  remaining 
braces  and,  fully  released,  she  glided 
out  into  the  waters  of  the  Delaware, 
freed    for   service. 

Too  many  of  us  are  "partly  sepa- 
rated" from  the  world  and  "partly 
consecrated"  to  Christ.  It  is  the  few 
remaining  stays  release  from  which 
we  are  reluctant  to  seek  which  do 
so  much  to  mar  the  efficiency  of  our 
service  for  God.  It  is  supremely  im- 
portant that  we  withdraw  ourselves 
from  all  other  claims  of  ownership 
and  turn  ourselves  over  fully  to  the 
ownership  of  God. 

We  use  this  word  in  the  active 
sense  of  devotement  to  service. 
There  is  a  distinct  difference  between 
the  idea  of  dedication  and  devote- 
ment. We  dedicate  a  house  to  God. 
We  devote  our  time  to  his  service. 
Consecration  in  this  sense  follows 
dedication.  It  means  the  application 
of  ourselves  to  the  object  of  our 
dedication  with  zeal  and  affection. 
First  we  give  ourselves  to  God;  then 
we  devote  ourselves  to  his  cause. 
First  we  be  God's  and  then  we  serve 
God. 

(1)  This  implies  that  we  identify 
ourselves  with  God's  cause.  His 
cause  becomes  our  cause,  his  king- 
dom our  kingdom,  his  glory  our 
glory. 


142 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


(2)  This  will  lead  us  to  serve  his 
Church.  The  Church  is  his  minis- 
tering body  in  the  world.  We  will 
identify  ourselves  with  it,  put  on 
the  uniform  of  his  army,  march  with 
it  to  battle  and  do  all  in  our  power 
to  win  for  God  the  victory  over  all 
the  opposing  hosts  of  evil. 

(3)  This  devotement  will  also  lead 
us  to  serve  individual  souls.  We  will 
try  to  win  others  to  him,  one  by  one, 
using  the  power  of  personal  influence 
and  persuasion. 

God  will  use  us  if  we  thus  devote 
ourselves  to  his  service.  When 
Saladin  looked  at  the  sword  of 
Richard  Cceur  de  Lion  he  wondered 
that  a  blade  so  ordinary  should  have 
wrought  such  mighty  deeds.  The 
English  King  bared  his  arm  and 
said :  "It  was  not  the  sword  that  did 
those  things ;  it  was  the  arm  of  Rich- 
ard." We  should  be  instruments  that 
God  can  use. 

He  does  not  send  angels  to  make 
known  his  gospel.  If  we  are  kept 
for  the  Master's  use,  given  out- 
right to  him,  set  apart  for  his  serv- 
ice, he  will  make  us  the  instru- 
ments of  mighty  results  in  his  king- 
dom. 

One  thing  more  is  implied  in  our 
being  dedicated  to  God  and  given 
over  to  his  service — communion,  or 
association  with  God.  Both  the  giv- 
ing of  ourselves  and  of  our  service 
are  love  prompted.  We  therefore 
need  converse  with  the  One  we 
serve.  We  will  be  efficient  in  se'rvice 
just  in  proportion  as  we  "practice 
the  presence  of  God."  We  need  to 
live  under  the  consciousness  that  he 
is  near,  that  he  sees  us,  is  with  us, 
is  in  us.  This  is  what  will  make  us 
strong  and  hopeful  and  cheerful  and 
courageous  and  successful.  Give 
yourself  to  God.  Then  set  out  in  the 
way  of  his  service.  And  while  thus 
engaged  practice  the  sense  of  his 
presence.  Say  to  yourself  over  and 
over  again  every  day  "God  is  here." 
"God  is  with  me."  "God  is  in  me." 
"I  am  his."  "He  is  mine."  "God 
is  love."  "God  loves  me."  Try  to 
arrive  at  an  habitual  sense  of  his 
presence.  These  three  steps,  dedica- 
tion, consecration  and  communion 
would  give  us  all  useful,  happy  and 
victorious  lives. — H. 

The  Summons  to  Serve 

"Come  now,  therefore,  and  I  will 
send    thee    unto    Pharaoh.  .  .  .  Who 


am  I  that  I  should  go  unto  Pharaoh? 
Certainly  I  will  be  with  thee." — 
Exod.  3 :  10-12. 

Two  things  must  have  astonished 
Moses— -an  extraordinary  sight  and 
a  startling  summons.  That  burning 
bush  which  was  not  consumed  was 
something  so  utterly  at  variance  with 
all  experience  that  it  filled  him  with 
amazement  and  awe.  But  more  as- 
tonishing still  was  that  wonderful 
commission,  "Come,  now,  therefore, 
and  I  will  send  thee  unto  Pharaoh." 
It  is  no  wonder  that  Moses  shrank 
exceedingly  from  that  strange  com- 
mission, that  he  felt  utterly  incom- 
petent to  discharge  it.  Yet  was  he 
fitted,  far  better  than  any  other  living 
man,  for  that  great  task.  We  see  the 
application  of  this  passage  to  our- 
selves when  we  consider : 

I.  God's  summons  to  serve. 
Though  God  does  not  call  us  to  such 
high  tasks  as  that  to  which  Moses 
was  called,  yet  he  does  send  us  all 
forth  to  noble  service.  He  says  to 
us,  Go,  bear  witness  of  me ;  constrain 
the  thoughtless  to  think  of  me ;  make 
known  to  the  ignorant  the  truth  and 
grace  -of  the  Gospel. 

II.  Our  sense  of  insufficiency. 
"Who  am  I?"  said  Moses;  and  we 
say,  Who  are  we  that  we  should  un- 
dertake this  high  and  noble  task? 

(1)  That  we  should  take  Christ's 
name  upon  us  and  represent  him  in 
the  world ;  that  we  should  undertake 
to  live  a  Christian  life  and  illustrate 
his  truth.  Are  we  able  to  do  that 
in  such  a  world  as  this? 

(2)  That  we  should  undertake 
some  serious  work  for  Christ  and 
for  man.  Our  sense  of  insufficiency 
arrests  us ;  it  silences  us  as  we  are 
about  to  say,  "Lord,  here  are  we, 
send  us." 

III.  Our  unrecognized  capacity,' 
Moses  proved  to  be  perfectly  fitted  to 
accomplish  the  task  for  which  he 
thought  himself  so  unequal.  He  had 
in  himself  capacities  of  which  he 
was  then  ignorant,  and  he  had  in 
God  a  Divine  resource  on  which  he 
did  not  for  the  moment  reckon. 

(1)  Our  fitness  to  bear  Christ's 
name.  We  may  be  feeble  and  even 
faulty,  but  there  are  two  things  which 
qualify  us  to  do  this.  (1)  Decision 
for  Christ;  the  fact  that  we  are  no 
longer  against  him,  or  indifferent  to 
him,  or  undecided  about  him,  but 
fully  resolved  to  follow  and  to  serve 
him.     (2)  Such  trust  in  God  as  will 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      143 


manifest   itself   in   daily   prayer   for 
his  sustaining  help. 

(2)  Our  preparedness  to  engage  in 
work  for  him.  We  may  be  very 
diffident  in  spirit,  sensible  of  our 
limitations ;  we  may  be  unendowed 
with  any  great  qualities,  mental  or 
spiritual.  Yet  are  we  qualified  to 
do  much  excellent  work  for  our 
Master  if  we  possess  those  three 
things  which  are  open  to  us  all  to 
acquire:  (1)  A  loving  spirit;  (2)  An 
understanding  and  appreciation  of 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Christ,  the  dis- 
tinctive truth  of  the  Gospel.  (3) 
Patient,  prayerful  endeavor. 

"We  Bear  the  Name  of  Christians" 
"And     the     disciples     were     called 
Christians    first    in    Antioch."      Acts 
11:26. 

I.  The  origin  of  the  name : 

(1)  If  it  was  imposed  by  God, 
it  shows  that  he  is  solicitous  to  fix 
the  proper  aspect  in  which  his  people 
are  viewed. 

(2)  If  it  was  assumed  by  the  dis- 
ciples, it  shows  that  they  regarded 
Christ  as  the  centre  of  their  re- 
ligion. 

(3)  If  it  was  affixed  by  the  Jews 
or  Heathen,  it  shows  that  the  natu- 
ral mind  has  no  just  appreciation  of 
spiritual    excellence. 

II.  The   import  of   the  name. 

(1)  A  believer  in  Christ. 

(2)  A  lover  of  Christ. 

(3)  An    imitator  of   Christ. 

(4)  A  servant  of  Christ. 

(5)  An  expectant  of  Christ. 

The  Prodigal  Son 
Luke   15:11-24. 

I.  Downward   course. 

(1)  Restless.      "Father    give    me." 

(2)  Rebellious.  "Gathered  all  to- 
gether." 

(3)  Revelry.  "Wasted  his  sub- 
stance." 

(4)  Ruin.  "Spent  all — in  want — 
no  man   gave  unto  him." 

II.  Upward  and  homeward  course. 

(1)  Reflects.  "He  came  to  him- 
self." 

(2)  Repents.  "Hired  servants  of 
my  father  have  bread  and  I  perish." 

(3)  Resolves.     "I   will   arise." 

(4)  Returns.      "He    arose." 

(5)  Received.  "His  father  saw  him 
and    had    compassion." 

(6)  Reconciled.  "His  father  rose 
and  fell  on  his  neck  and  kissed 
him," 


(7)  Reinstated.  "Bring  forth  the 
best  robe,"  etc. 

(8)  Rejoicing.  "This  my  son  was 
dead  and  is  alive  again." 

— London  City  Missionary. 

Seeking  God 

"O  God,  thou  art  my  God;  early 
will  I  seek  thee."     Ps.  63 :  1. 

I.  The  privilege  of  a  good  man. 
To   seek   God. 

(1)  God  is  his  Father.  (2)  De- 
fender. (3)  Counsellor.  (4)  Com- 
forter. 

II.  The  resolution  of  a  good  man. 
"I   will   seek." 

(1)  What  is  it  to  seek  God? 

(2)  Where  is  God  to  be  sought? 
In  his  word,  ordinances,  by  prayer, 
reading. 

(3)  When  is  God  to  be  sought? 
Early  in  life,  early  in  the  morning. 
Early.     Now. 

(4)  Why  is  God  to  be  sought? 
He  is  lovely,  and  makes  happy. — 
Rev.   Alexander  Fletcher. 

Fighting  Against  God 

"Ye  do  always  resist  the  Holy 
Ghost."     Acts  7: 51. 

I.  The  office  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

(1)  Convincing. 

(2)  Entreating. 

(3)  Admonishing. 

(4)  Threatening. 

II.  The  means  he  uses. 

(1)  The    Word. 

(2)  Examples. 

(3)  Conscience. 

(4)  Providential  dealings. 

III.  The  modes  of  resisting  him. 

(1)  Inattention. 

(2)  Procrastination. 

(3)  Contradiction. 

Cease   to   fight  against  God.     Lis- 
ten   to    the    loving,    wooing,    blessed 
oice  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  your  heart. 

What  Is  a   Christian? 

I.  In  faith,  a  believer  in  Christ. 
Mark  16:16. 

II.  In  knowledge,  a  disciple.  John 
8:31. 

III.  In  character,  a  saint.  Rom. 
1:7. 

IV.  In  influence,  a  light.  Matt. 
5:14. 

V.  In  conflict,  a  soldier.  2  Tim. 
2:3. 

VI.  In  communion,  a  friend.  John 
15:15. 

VII.  In  progress,  a  pilgrim.  Heb. 
11:13. 


144 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


VIII.  In  relationship,  a  child. 
Rom.  8:16. 

IX.  In  expectation,  aji  heir.  Rom. 
8:17. 

Decision  for  God  Demanded 

"Who  is  on  the  Lord's  side?"  Ex. 
32 :  26. 

This  chapter  gives  account  of  the 
idolatry  of  the  Israelites,  and  of  the 
wrath  of  God  against  them.  Their 
idolatry  was  punished,  after  which 
the  watchword  was  given,  "Who  is  on 
the  Lord's  side?" 

I.  An  implied  conflict.  "The 
Lord's  side."  A  conflict;  hence  a 
demand  "Who  is  on  the  Lord's 
side?" 

II.  What  is  implied  in  being  on 
the  Lord's  side?  A  forsaking  of 
the  opposite  side.  An  espousal  of 
God  and  his  cause.  A  public  enlist- 
ment. A  military  disposition,  ready 
to  obey  the  new  Commander.  A  full 
consecration  of  our  powers  to  his 
cause. 

III.  The  honor  and  advantage  of 
being  on  the  Lord's  side.  It  is  not 
the  side  of  a  tyrant,  but  of  the  God 
of  love  and  spiritual  freedom.  It 
is  not  the  side  of  sin  but  of  purity; 
not  of  darkness,  but  of  light;  not 
of  woe,  but  of  bliss. 

(1)  It  is  the  strongest  side. 

(2)  It  is  the  most  happy  side. 

(3)  It  is  the  most  useful  side. 

(4)  It  is  the  side  which  will  ul- 
timately be  crowned  with  victory  and 
eternal   rewards. 

"Who  is  on  the  Lord's  side?" 
Come,  enlist,   now. 

Guidance 
Isa.  58:11. 

I.  How? 

(1)  By  his  voice.    John  10:27. 

(2)  With  his  eye.     Psa.  32:8. 

(3)  With  his  counsel.    Psa.  73:24. 

(4)  By  his  presence.    John  10:4. 

II.  Where? 

(1)  Into  paths  of  peace.  Luke 
1:79. 

(2)  Into  all  truth.     John  16:13. 

III.  How  long? 

(1)  Continually.     Isa.   5:8-11. 

(2)  Unto  death.     Psa.  48  :  14. 

IV.  The  conditions? 

(1)  Grateful  acknowledgment  of 
past,  and  present  guidance.  Prov. 
3:6. 

(2)  Committing  of  the  way  to  him. 
Psa.  87:5. 

— C.  E.  Parsons. 


Christ  in  Hebrews 

Heb.  2 : 7-9. 

I.  Past — Lower  than  the  angels. 
V.  7.  A  little  while  lower.  (R.  V, 
margin.) 

II.  Present — But  we  see  not  yet 
all  things  put  under  him.  V.  8. 
Subjected  to  him.     (R.  V.) 

III.  Present — Crowned  with  glory, 
etc.  V.  9.  Crowned  as  victor.  New- 
berry's version. 

IV.  Future — Thou  hast  put  all 
things  in  subjection  under  his  feet. 
V.  8.  Compare  with  1  Cor.  15 :  23- 
28 ;  Eph.  1 :  19-23. 

— James  Sprunt. 

Oh,  That  I! 

I.  The  enquirer's  lament.  Job  23 : 
3. 

II.  The  suppliant's  prayer.  Job  6: 
8. 

III.  The  murmurer's  complaint. 
Job.   10:18. 

IV.  The  backslider's  remorse.  Job 
29:2. 

V.  The  rebel's  wish.  2  Sam.  15 : 
4. 

VI.  The  believer's  desire.  Psa. 
9:2. 

VII.  The  prophet's  cry.    Jer.  9 : 2. 

— F.  E.  Marsh. 

Our  Environment 

I.  Before  us.  Isa.  48:17;  Psa. 
139 :  5  ;  Isa.  52 :  12. 

II.  Behind  us.  Isa.  30:21;  Psa. 
139:5;  Isa.  52:12. 

III.  To  the  right.  Psa.  16 :  8 ;  41 : 
13;  Job  23:9. 

IV.  To  the  left.  Psa.  18:35; 
Job  23 : 9. 

V   Above.    Psa.  36 :  7. 

VI.  Beneath.     Deut.  33:27. 

VII.  Within.  1  Cor.  3:16;  Psa. 
125 : 2. 

— Rev.  J.  H.  Sammis. 

Obedience 

Profession  nothing,  unless  we  show 
obedience.  Luke  6:46.  Why  call 
"Lord"  and  do  not?  Not  saved  by 
obedience  (Eph.  2:8,  9),  but  obedi- 
ence is  result  of  heart  belief.  Rom. 
10:9,  10.  The  tree  is  fruitless  until 
its  life  permeates ;  then  fruit  is  seen. 
No  fruit  indicates  deadness. 

2  Tim.  3:5;  describes  many  in  the 
church. 

Obey  Christ's  commands. 

I.  Be  not  conformed.     Rom.  12:1. 

II.  Let  light  shine.     Matt.  5:6. 

III.  To  work.     Matt.  21:28. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      145 


IV.  Be  steadfast,  etc.  1  Cor.  15: 
58. 

In  conclusion — not  saying,  but  do- 
ing.   Matt.  7:21. 

— Weston  R.  Gales. 

"Called" 

I.  Called  to  be  saints.    1  Cor.  1 :  2. 

II.  Called  you  unto  his  kingdom 
and  glory.     1   Thess.  2 :  12. 

III.  Called  to  the  obtaining  of  the 
glory.     2  Thess.  2 :  14. 

IV.  Called  unto  the  fellowship  of 
his  Son.     1  Cor.  1 :  9. 

V.  Called  us  with  an  holy  calling. 
2   Tim.    1:9. 

VI.  Called  us  unto  holiness.  1 
Thess.  4:7. 

VII.  Called  to  walk  worthily. 
Eph.  4 : 1. 

VIII.  Called  that  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  may  be  glorified  in  you. 
2  Thess.  1 :  11. 

IX.  Called— heavenly.     Heb.    3:1. 

X.  Called  to  inherit  blessing.  1 
Pet.  3 : 9. 

XI.  Called,  them  he  also  justified. 
Rom.  8 :  30. 

XII.  Called  not  of  the  Jews  only, 
but  also  of  the  Gentiles.    Rom.  9 :  24. 

Three  Life  Secrets 

I.  The  Secret  of  Safety.  The 
blood.  Ex.  12:13;  Lev.  17:11; 
Matt.  26:28;  1  Pet.  1:18,  19;  Heb. 
9:22;  Rev.  12:11. 

II.  The  Secret  of  Assurance.  The 
Word.  1  John  5:13;  John  5:24; 
20 :  31 ;  3  :  33  ;  Num.  23 :  19 ;  Psa.  119 : 
89;  Luke  21 :  33;  2  Tim.  1 :  12;  John 
10:27-29. 

III.  The  Secret  of  Lasting  Joy. 
Obedience.  John  15:9-11;  Isa.  1: 
18,  19;  1  Sam.  15:22,  23.  Disobedi- 
ence forfeits  joy.  Psa.  51  :  12.  Here 
is  a  life  motto.  John  2:5;  Amos  3: 
3.  Conscious  manifested  presence  of 
God,  gives  joy.  Heb.  3: 17,  18;  Heb. 
12 :  29. 

— Evangelist  Robert  L.  Layfield. 

Rest  in  the  Lord 

Psa.  37 : 7. 

I.  In  God  the  understanding  finds 
rest. 

II.  Let  intellect,  judgment,  and 
reason  rest  in  God. 

III.  Rest  of  the  affections.  Care 
burdened.  Weariness  will  come. 
Work  brings  it ;  cross  brings  it.  Dr. 
Preston,  when  dying,  said,  "I  change 
my  place,  but  not  my  company. 
Whilst  here  I  have  sometimes  walked 


with  God,  but  now  I  go  to  rest  with 
him  for  ever." 

Good  Shepherd 

John  10:11-18. 

Bible  Shepherd.  Gen.  47 :  3  ;  Luke 
2:8. 

Lord  my  Shepherd.     Psa.  23. 

I.  He  knows  his  sheep.  John  10: 
14. 

II.  He  provides  for  them.  John 
10:9. 

III.  He  guides  them.    Prov.  8:28. 

IV.  He  gives  his  life.    John  10: 15. 

V.  He  delights  in  them.  1  Pet. 
2:9. 

Fatherhood  of  God 

I.  Our  Father.     Matt.  6:9. 

II.  A  Father.     Psa.  103 :  13. 

III.  Abba,   Father.     Rom.  8:15. 

IV.  Everlasting  Father.     Isa.  9 :  6. 

— Rev.  J.  H.  Sam  mis. 

Seven  Pieces  of  Armor 

I.  Girdle  of  truth.    2  Cor.  13:8. 

II.  Breastplate  of  Righteousness. 
Phil.  3 : 9. 

III.  Sandals  of  the  Gospel.  Eph. 
2:10. 

IV.  Shield  of  faith.     1  John  5:4. 

V.  Helmet  of  salvation.  Psa.  27 : 
1. 

VI.  Sword  of  the  Spirit.  Heb. 
4:12. 

VII.  Prayer  keeps  armor  bright. 

God's   Wonderful   Love 

"God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he 
gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  who- 
soever believeth  in  him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 
John  3 :  16. 

Luther  called  these  words  of  Christ, 
"The  Bible  in  miniature."  Another 
calls  them  "The  epitome  of  the  Gos- 
pel." One  thing  is  very  sure,  that 
these  words  form  a  wonderfully  com- 
prehensive sentence,  carrying  us  into 
the  very  citadel  of  truth.  Wrapped 
up  in  this  one  pregnant  statement  lie 
the  central  and  fundamental  truths 
of  redemption.  There  are  other 
truths,  but  they  are  subordinate. 
These  are  chief ;  these  are  vital. 
These  must  be  preached  if  Christ  is 
preached.  If  there  is  anv  uplifting 
regenerating,  saving  power  in  Chris- 
tianity we  will  find  it  here;  for  in 
studying  this  one  sentence  we  are 
studying  the  whole  scheme  of  re.-. 
demptive  love. 


146 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


I.  We  find  in  these  words  the  mo- 
tive of  redemption.  It  was  love. 
"God  so  loved."  Back  of  all  efforts 
to  rescue  the  race  was  God's  great 
heart  of  love.  The  redemptive  mo- 
tive was  love.  God  is  love;  love  is 
sacrifice ;  the  death  of  Christ  was 
the  sacrifice  of  God.  Our  redemp- 
tion was  love  prompted,  love  con- 
ceived, love  wrought.  Could  we  but 
bring  every  conscious  sinner  ear- 
nestly face  to  face  with  this  one  re- 
flection of  God's  love,  it  would  melt 
all  hearts,  it  would  soften  every  re- 
bellious thought,  it  would  remove 
each  doubt,  it  would  take  away  every 
fear,  and  submissively,  tenderly  and 
very  lovingly  would  every  soul  be 
found  kneeling  at  the  foot  of  the 
cross. 

II.  They  reveal  the  method  of  re- 
demption. It  was  by  the  gift  of 
God's  Son.  "God  so  loved  the  world 
that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son." 
And  the  Son  so  loved  that  he  will- 
ingly came  "to  seek  and  to  save." 
When  God  gave  his  Son  he  knew 
what  would  be  the  result ;  what  treat- 
ment he  would  receive.  God  knew 
that  from  his  manger-cradle  to  his 
cross  his  only  beloved  Son  would  be 
humiliated,  and  tempted,  and  perse- 
cuted, and  tried,  and  condemned,  and 
scourged,  and  buffeted,  and  thorn- 
crowned,  and  spit  upon,  and  crucified 
— cruelly  and  shamefully  crucified  by 
men,  and  yet — and  yet,  "God  so 
loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  Son."  And  Christ  so 
loved  the  world  that  he  "endured  the 
cross,  despising  the  shame,"  and 
"gave  his  life  a  ransom  for  many." 

III.  This  brings  us  to  a  third 
thought,  that  in  all  this  love  and  pro- 
vision there  was  a  purpose — salva- 
tion. "That  whosoever  believeth  on 
him  might  not  perish,  but  have  ever- 
lasting life."  The  motive,  love ;  the 
method,  sending  his  Son ;  the  pur- 
pose, salvation.  "God  sent  his  Son 
into  the  world  that  the  world  through 
him  might  be  saved."  Christ  did  not 
come  simply  to  teach,  to  educate  or 
to  reveal,  but  to  rescue.  Had  the 
world  not  needed  saving  Christ  need 
never  have  come.  "But,"  it  may  be 
asked,  "what  is  the  meaning,  the 
character,  of  this  salvation?  saved 
from  what?"  The  answer  is  plain, 
from  "perishing."  Not  from  mis- 
fortune, so  much ;  not  from  trouble, 
nor  from  ignorance,  nor  from  deg- 
radation— all  of   these,  but  infinitely 


more — from     everlasting     death     to 
everlasting  life. 

IV.  It  is  just  here  that  there  is 
furnished  also  the  ground  of  our  re- 
demption— an  atoning  sacrifice.  "God 
so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his 
Son" — gave  him  up  to  atoning,  sacri- 
ficial death.  That  means  the  cross 
with  all  its  tortures.  Christ  him- 
self said,  "The  Son  of  man  must  be 
lifted  up  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
him  should  not  perish,  but  have  ever- 
lasting life."  There,  in  the  cross, 
Christ  put  his  saving  power.  We 
are  to  glory  only  in  the  cross.  "Be- 
hold the  Lamb  of  God,"  as  a  sacri- 
fice, a  substitute,  a  propitiation  for 
sin,  "taking  away  the  sin  of  the 
world."  And,  "there  is  none  other 
name  under  heaven  given  among  men, 
whereby  we  must  be  saved." 

V.  Still  more  personally  impor- 
tant, we  are  told  who  are  the  sub- 
jects of  redemption — every  one  that 
"believeth."  "Whosoever  believeth." 
God  in  Christ  has  made  for  every 
creature  the  fullest,  freest,  richest 
possible  provision,  with  this  one  only 
condition — a  loving,  acquiescing,  ap- 
propriating faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  The  passage  brings  to  us  all 
this  one  boundless,  all-inclusive  word, 
"Whosoever";  and  this  one  qualify- 
ing condition,  "believing."  Meeting 
the  condition,  at  once  all  the  infinite 
wealth  wrapped  up  in  this  one  won- 
derful statement  becomes  our  per- 
sonal possession. — H. 

Choosing  God 

"Choose  you  this  day  whom  ye 
will  serve."     Joshua  24  :  15-26. 

After  a  long  career  of  victorious 
warfare,  followed  by  an  old  age  of 
comparative  repose,  Joshua  was  now 
drawing  consciously  near  to  the  end 
of  his  earthly  life,  and,  like  Moses 
before  him,  determined  to  give  the 
assembled  Israelites  the  advantage  of 
his  parting  counsels.  Well  knowing 
the  dangers  that  might  draw  them 
aside  it  was  his  desire  to  so  confirm 
the  people  in  the  true  faith  and  wor- 
ship of  God  that  after  his  death  they 
might   persevere   therein. 

I.    The  choice  set  before  them. 

He  summoned  the  tribes  to  She- 
chem,  recounted  the  great  things  Je- 
hovah had  done  for  them  in  the  past, 
and  in  view  of  God's  character  and 
favors  urged  that  they  should  make 
his  service  their  deliberate  and  ir- 
revocable choice ;  and  upon  their  pro- 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      147 


fession  to  do  so  made  a  solemn  and 
formal  covenant  that  they  would 
never  depart  from  this  devotement 
to  duty. 

II.  Reasons  to  induce  them  to 
right  choice. 

Joshua  wanted  the  people  to  choose 
their  religion  rationally  and  intelli- 
gently. He  therefore  sets  forth  the 
motives  which  should  induce  them  to 
a  proper  course,  and  then  leaves  the 
decision  for  them  to  make.  In  the 
early  part  of  his  address  he  had  re- 
counted, as  in  a  panorama  with  scene 
after  scene,  some  of  the  great  things 
God  had  done  for  them  and  their 
ancestors — things  such  as  no  idol  had 
ever  done  for  its  adherents.  He 
urges  them  therefore  to  put  away 
idols  and  reverence  and  worship 
God ;  and  not  in  pretence  or  form, 
but  in  sincerity  and  in  truth. 

III.  The  choice  made. 

Having  set  the  choice  before  the 
people  and  having  by  his  own  ex- 
ample and  many  other  motives  urged 
them  to  a  right  decision,  we  now 
hear  an  instant  and  unanimous  re- 
sponse :  "God  forbid  that  we  should 
forsake  the  Lord  to  serve  other 
gods."  Their  intellects  were  con- 
vinced. Their  hearts  were  moved. 
They  responded  with  the  right  de- 
cision. 

IV.  The  covenant  renewed. 

The  people  having  made  definite 
and  repeated  declaration  that  they 
would  serve  and  obey  God,  Joshua 
at  last  took  them  at  their  word  and 
entered  into  a  formal  covenant  with 
them.  This  was  probably  a  solemn 
ratification  and  renewal  of  the  cove- 
nant of  Sinai,  but  with  special  fea- 
tures applicable  to  the  present  situa- 
tion. This  covenant  became  a  statute, 
or  a  part  of  their  national  law.  As 
we  read  on  we  find  that  Joshua  wrote 
all  these  words  in  the  book  of  the 
law  of  the  Lord,  and  set  up  a  stone 
monument  as  a  perpetual  reminder 
of  their  promise  on  this  great  day. 

Let  us  not  fail  to  learn  these  facts, 
namely :  The  service  of  God  is  a 
matter  of  free  choice.  It  is  right 
and  wise  to  bring  every  good  motive 
to  bear  upon  those  who  are  making 
the  choice.  All  good  reasons  are  on 
the  side  of  serving  God.  Good 
choices  should  be  made  without  de- 
lay. We  should  do  all  we  can  to 
lead  others  to  make  decisions  for 
God.  We  should  take  special  care 
that  our  households  as  well  as  our- 


selves should  serve  God.  Whatever 
others  may  do  we  should  persevere 
in  God's  service  while  life  lasts.  The 
service  of  God  is  worthy  of  the  most 
distinguished  men.  We  must  break 
with  sin  or  break  with  God.  Re- 
peated public  confession  is  a  help 
toward  causing  impressions  to  en- 
dure. Covenants  are  solemn  things 
and  should  be  remembered.  Study 
the  whole  passage  carefully  and  you 
will  find  it  filled  with  most  practical 
suggestions  for  our  lives  to-day. — H. 

Elements   of    Church   Strength 
"Put    on   thy    Strength,    O    Zion." 

Isa.  53:1. 
Some    elements    of    a    successful 

church  in  our  times : 

I.  Loyalty  to  the  truth  of  God's 
Word.  Bible  teachings  respecting 
salvation,  character  and  duty  are  the 
standard  by  which  the  church  is  to 
be  governed  in  accomplishing  its  mis- 
sion. A  church  faithful  to  truth  will 
be  blessed  by  the  truth. 

II.  Intelligent  Christian  living.  It 
is  good  to  have  and  believe  the  truth. 
It  is  better  to  live  it.  The  church 
that  lives  well  will  succeed  well. 

III.  Activity  in  service  for  Christ. 
The  church  becomes  strong  by  prac- 
tice. Putting  forth  strength  is  the 
way  to  gain  strength.  The  church 
that  serves  God,  he  will  honor.  The 
working  church  wins. 

IV.  Fidelity  to  the  church,  its 
worship,  work,  officers,  membership, 
and  its  good  name. 

V.  Unity.  "In  union  there  is 
strength."  If  unity  and  brotherly 
love  prevail  the  church  is  irresistible. 

VI.  Systematic  and  liberal  giving. 
A  church  that  gives  will  get.  A  lib- 
eral church  is  likely  to  be  strong 
spiritually,  and  every  other  way. 

Let  us  do  everything  we  can  that 
is  right  to  make  our  church  strong. 
— H. 

Unquestioning  Obedience 

"Nevertheless."     Luke  5  :  5. 

An  aged  Christian  lady,  ripe  in  ex- 
perience, once  told  us  that  she  had 
heard  a  most  helpful  sermon  upon 
the  one  word,  "Nevertheless."  We 
began  to  study  the  word  as  found 
in  this  verse,  and  discovered  that  it 
is  the  key  which  unlocks  the  meaning 
of  this  whole  incident.  The  disci- 
ples had  toiled  all  night  and  taken 
nothing.  Christ's  word  came  to  them 
to  launch  out  into  the  deep  and  let 


1 48 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


down  their  nets  for  a  draught.  Si- 
mon answered,  saying  unto  him, 
"Master,  we  have  toiled  all  the  night 
and  have  taken  nothing;  neverthe- 
less, at  thy  word,  I  will  let  down  the 
net."  And  when  they  had  thus  done 
they  inclosed  a  great  multitude  of 
fishes.  Their  unquestioning  obedi- 
ence was  immediately  rewarded. 

I.  The  attitude  in  which  this  word 
reveals  the  disciples  to  have  been. 

(1)  It  was  the  attitude  of  love. 
"Master,  I  cannot  understand ;  I  do 
not  see  the  why ;  but  you  say  let 
down  your  net  and  I  will  do  it."  It 
is  the  confidence  of  a  servant,  born 
of  love  to  the  Master. 

(2)  The  attitude  of  faith.  "I 
seem  to  have  reason  to  fear  that 
there  shall  be  no  result.  We  have 
been  toiling  all  night  long  and  have 
taken  nothing.  This  does  not  seem 
to  be  a  good  place  for  fishing,  espe- 
cially out  here  in  deep  water,  never- 
theless at  thy  word — " 

(3)  The  attitude  was  one  of  in- 
stant action — obedience. 

We  know  the  rich  reward  this  act 
of  love  and  faith  and  obedience  re- 
ceived. There  was  instant  return. 
We  shall  never  be  losers  in  obeying 
Christ.  Our  faith  will  be  surprised. 
Christ  never  deceives.  If  we  would 
be  as  ready  as  these  disciples  to  obey 
Christ  we  would,  like  them,  be  al- 
ways richly  blessed. 

II.  This  attitude  of  unquestioning 
obedience  is  one  especially  appropri- 
ate for  the  unconverted. 

There  are  those  who  wish  to  be 
Christians.  But  they  say,  "Master,  I 
cannot  understand ;  I  have  fears  as 
to  the  result ;  I  do  not  see  the  reason 
for  thy  commands,  neither  do  I  see 
a  way  to  carry  them  out." 

Do  you  feel  a  longing  in  your  heart 
to  become  a  Christian?  If  so,  you 
may  learn  a  very  helpful  lesson  from 
the  ten  lepers  who  came  to  Christ 
to  be  healed.  They  first  asked  Christ 
to  heal  them.  He  said,  "Go,  show 
yourselves  to  the  priests."  They  be- 
lieved and  began  to  obey.  Then  they 
experienced  the  blessing.  "For  it 
came  to  pass  that  as  they  went  they 
were  cleansed."  In  trustful  obedi- 
ence they  experienced  the  healing. 
When  they  exercised  faith  by  obey- 
ing, Christ  exercised  his  power  in 
healing.  Oh,  what  multitudes  of 
sin-sick  souls  fail  of  ever  being 
healed,  not  because  they  do  not 
sometimes   long   for  it,   but  because 


they  do  not  take  Christ  at  his  word 
and  resolutely  start  out  on  the  way 
of  obedience !  The  thought  in  the 
mind  of  Christ  is  always,  "Go,  and 
as  you  go  I  will  give  the  blessing." 
But  you  say,  "Lord,  give  me  the 
blessing  and  then  I  will  go."  By  so 
doing  you  show  both  lack  of  faith 
and  lack  of  acquiescence  in  Christ's 
plan — not  having  faith  enough  to  war- 
rant Christ  in  healing  you,  and  pre- 
sumptuous enough  to  set  up  your 
will  and  demand  a  reversal  of 
Christ's  known  order  of  action. 
Jesus  says  to  you,  "Come  unto  me 
and  I  will  give  you  rest."  But  you 
say,  "Lord,  give  me  rest  and  I  will 
come  to  thee."  Jesus  says,  "Take 
my  yoke  upon  you  and  you  will  find 
rest  to  your  soul."  But  you  say  to 
him,  "Lord,  give  me  rest  to  my  soul 
and  I  will  take  thy  yoke." 

Or  it  may  be  you  allow  yourself 
to  be  prevented  by  doubts  about  some 
of  the  doctrines  of  salvation.  But 
Jesus  says  to  you,  "If  any  man  will 
do  the  works  he  shall  know  of  the 
doctrine."  But  you  say  to  Christ, 
"Lord,  explain  to  me  the  doctrines, 
and  when  these  are  plain  I  will  do 
the  works." 

God  says  to  you,  "Wherefore  come 
out  from  among  them  and  be  ye 
separate,  and  touch  not  the  unclean 
thing,  and  I  will  receive  you  and  will 
be  a  Father  unto  you,  and  ye  shall 
be  my  sons  and  my  daughters,  saith 
the  Lord  Almighty."  But  you  say, 
"Lord,  make  me  to  feel  that  you  re- 
ceive me  and  art  a  Father  unto  me 
and  that  I  am  a  son  or  daughter  unto 
thee  and  then  I  will  come  out  from 
the  world  and  be  separate  and  con- 
fess thee  before  men." 

There  are  multitudes  of  people  who 
feel  and  act  in  just  this  way,  and 
because  they  do,  stop  where  they  are 
and  are  lost.  Are  you  longing  to  be 
healed  of  the  leprosy  of  sin?  You 
will  feel  Christ's  healing  power  when 
you  believe  and  go  forward  in  in- 
stant, unquestioning  obedience,  but 
not  one  moment  before. 

III.  This  attitude  of  unquestioning 
obedience  is  the  appropriate  one  for 
all  tempted,  hesitating  Christians  fail- 
ing to  launch  out  into  the  deeper  ex- 
perience of  the  divine  life. 

Enter  into  the  grace  of  God,  the 
peace  of  God,  the  power  of  God. 
Strive  to  know  the  blessedness  of  a 
full  salvation.  Strive  to  attain  the 
highest   character.     "Covet  the   best 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      149 


gifts."  Strive  to  make  the  most 
blessed  attainments.  "Launch  out 
into  the  deep."  Commit  yourselves 
to  his  bidding.  Say,  "Nevertheless 
at  thy  word,  I  will."  In  unquestion- 
ing obedience  we  will  get  the  bless- 
ing.—H. 

Things  That  Keep  Us  from  God 

"These  six  things  doth  the  Lord 
hate,"  etc.    Prov.  6 :  16-19. 

We  all  know  that  there  are  things 
that  keep  us  from  God.  It  may  help 
us  to  avoid  them  if  we  will  notice 
what  at  least  a  few  of  them  are. 

I.  One  is  a  lack  of  a  frank  con- 
fession of  our  sins. 

We  cover  and  excuse  and  make 
allowances  for  the  wrong  things  we 
do.  But  let  us  be  honest  with  our- 
selves, honest  with  our  fellow  men, 
and  honest  with  God.  Let  us  know 
our  own  selves  and  not  excuse  our 
sins.  "Confess  your  sins  one  to  an- 
other and  pray  one  for  another."  "If 
I  regard  iniquity  in  my  heart  the 
Lord  will  not  hear  me."  Let  us  be 
careful  not  to  cover  our  sins,  or 
excuse  them,  or  apologize  for  them. 

II.  Another  is  the  hurry  of  life. 
Many  of  us  are  in  danger  of  being 
"jostled  out  of  our  spirituality."  We 
scarcely  take  time  to  think.  The 
rush  and  hurry  of  life  will  prevent 
our  converse  with  God  unless  we 
are  watchful  to  "live  in  the  Spirit 
and  walk  in  the  Spirit."  There  is  a 
beautiful  hymn  we  sing,  "Take  time 
to  be  holy."  It  takes  time  to  be  holy. 
We  need  to  take  time  for  meditation 
and  for  prayer.  Meditation  kindles 
thought  and  thought  kindles  love. 
"Come  ye  yourselves  apart  into  a 
desert  place  and  rest  awhile."  Let  us 
be  watchful  to  take  seasons  for 
thought  and  communion  with  Christ, 
and  for  the  cultivation  of  our  spirit- 
ual natures. 

III.  Another  thing  that  keeps  us 
from  God  is  irregularity  of  spiritual 
nourishment.  We  read  God's  word 
at  very  irregular  intervals.  We  pray 
only  occasionally.  We  attend  God's 
house  too  seldom.  Instead,  we  ought 
to  seek  spiritual  nourishment  at 
stated  times.  We  need  communion 
with  God  as  much  as  we  need  our 
daily  bread.  And  there  is  a  large 
power  to  hold  us,  and  make  us  strong, 
in  taking  of  regular  seasons  for  spir- 
itual thought  and  prayer  and  com- 
munion. 

IV.  Another,    the    attractions     of 


worldliness.  This  is  a  beautiful 
world.  God  wants  us  to  be  happy 
in  it.  We  are  in  the  world,  but  too 
many  of  us  have  the  world  in  us. 
We  are  told  that  while  in  the  world 
we  are  to  be  not  of  it.  It  is  all  right 
for  the  boat  to  be  in  the  water,  but 
when  the  water  gets  into  the  boat  the 
boat  sinks.  So  when  money  getting 
and  pleasure  getting  fill  us,  our  spir- 
itual life  is  submerged.  Let  us  watch 
against  reserving  the  best  of  our 
time  and  the  best  of  our  talent  for 
self.  Selfishness  will  certainly  keep 
us  from  God. 

V.  Still  another  is  grieving  the 
Spirit.  This  good  messenger,  the 
Holy  Spirit,  comes  to  us  over  and 
over  again  and  we  do  not  receive 
him.  He  points  out  a  duty  and  we 
do  not  do  it.  He  calls  us  to  a  higher 
life  and  we  do  not  aspire  or  try  to 
climb.  We  turn  him  aside.  We 
drown  his  voice  in  the  confusion  of 
earthly  things.  We  go  on  heedless  of 
his  love  and  of  his  call.  In  so  doing 
we  grieve  him  and  cut  ourselves 
away  from  the  grace  and  blessing  of 
God.  "Grieve  not  the  Spirit  of 
God." 

VI.  Deliberate  disobedience.  This, 
of  course,  is  sure  to  drive  us  away 
from  God.  "Your  sins  have  sep- 
arated between  you  and  God."  This 
is  always  one  result  of  sin.  Sinful 
meditation,  sinful  thoughts,  sinful 
deeds, — these  we  know  build  barriers 
between  us  and  our  heavenly  Fa- 
ther. Let  us  guard  against  the 
things  that  separate  between  our  souls 
and  God.  Let  us  cleave  to  the  things 
that  will  bring  us  near  to  him. — H. 

Keeping  Ourselves  in  the  Love  of 
God:  Post  Revival 

"Keep  yourselves  in  the  love  of 
God,"  etc.     Jude  21. 

In  order  to  keep  ourselves  in  a 
loving  attitude  towards  God  there  are 
some  things  to  be  avoided  and  some 
things  actively  to  be  done. 

I.    Things  to  be  avoided. 

Let  us  shun  carefully  everything 
that  would  be  likely  to  dampen  the 
fervor  of  our  affections  or  extin- 
guish the  holy  fire.  If  we  have  taken 
Christ  as  our  Master  let  us  follow 
him.  When  a  dog  is  following  two 
men  their  parting  shows  which  is 
master.  Sin  and  holiness  do  not  pro- 
ceed along  the  same  road.  We  must 
choose  which  way  we  will  go. 

(1)  Avoid    the    indulgence    of    a 


i50 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


worldly  spirit.  We  have  read  of  a 
boy  who  tied  his  horse  to  his  arm. 
The  horse  ran  away  and  the  boy  was 
much  injured.  We  must  hold  the 
world  so  loosely  that  it  can  never 
drag  us  with  it. 

(2)  Never  parley  with  temptation. 
Temptation  is  an  enemy  outside  the 
castle  gate  seeking  by  persuasive 
words  to  gain  an  entrance,  but  when 
once  we  let  it  in  we  will  find  it  a 
Trojan  horse  full  of  armed  men  to 
overcome  us. 

(3)  Never  compromise  with  sin. 
Never  say,  "I  will  choose  the  least 
of  two  evils."  Choose  neither.  Be- 
cause it  was  cold  the  camel  asked  the 
Arab  to  let  him  put  his  head  into  the 
door  of  the  tent.  There  being  no 
hindrance  he  got  in  with  his  fore 
feet.  Then  with  his  whole  body. 
"Hold,"  said  the  Arab,  "there  is  not 
room  enough  for  two."  "Then,"  said 
the  camel,  "you  had  better  get  out." 
That  is  the  way  it  always  ends. 
Compromises  with  sin  are  always 
dangerous. 

II.    Things  to  be  done. 

Religion  is  not  a  series  of  "don'ts." 
We  cannot  pump  darkness  out  of  a 
room.  It  cannot  be  baled  out;  open 
the  windows  and  let  in  the  light ! 
So  we  cannot  force  evil  out  of  the 
soul  except  by  letting  God  in.  What 
are  some  of  the  things  that  let  in 
light  to  the  soul? 

(1)  Prayer. 

(2)  Study  of  the  Bible. 

(3)  Meditation. 

(4)  Association  with  Christian 
companions. 

(5)  The  preserving  of  a  tender 
conscience. 

(6)  The  engaging  humbly  and 
heartily  in  every  form  of  Christian 
service.  If  we  would  keep  ourselves 
in  the  love  of  God,  we  must  culti- 
vate the  graces  and  imitate  him  in 
deeds  of  mercy  and  loving  kindness. 
— H. 

What  Is  a  Christian? 

"And  the  disciples  were  called 
Christians  first  at  Antioch."  Acts  11 : 
26. 

Following  the  martyrdom  of  Ste- 
phen the  disciples  were  widely  scat- 
tered by  persecution.  But  every- 
where they  went  they  preached  the 
gospel  of  Christ.  The  hand  of  the 
Lord  was  with  them  and  multitudes 
believed.  In  Antioch,  especially,  con- 
verts  were  made   in  great  numbers. 


Possibly  in  derision,  here  the  name 
was  bestowed  upon  them  of  "Chris- 
tians." "The  disciples  were  called 
Christians  first  in  Antioch." 

While  the  question  as  to  how  they 
came  to  be  called  by  this  name,  and 
why,  is  an  interesting  one,  we  wish 
now  to  speak  only  on  the  more  vital 
theme  as  to  what  a  Christian  really 
is. 

I.  A  Christian  is  one  who  has  ac- 
cepted Christ  as  a  personal  Saviour. 

We  call  ours  a  Christian  nation, 
but  in  reality  it  is  not.  We  speak  of 
ours  as  a  Christian  community,  but 
in  the  strict  sense  it  is  not.  People 
do  not  like  to  be  called  by  the  name 
Mohammedans  or  heathens  or  infidels 
and  so  we  usually  speak  of  our  peo- 
ple as  Christians.  The  name  has  be- 
come acceptable  and  the  people  are 
pleased  to  be  classed  under  it.  But 
to  belong  to  a  Christian  civilization 
does  not  make  one  a  Christian.  To 
be  really  a  Christian  is  a  very  dif- 
ferent thing  than  to  be  called  by  the 
name.  The  becoming  a  Christian  im- 
plies a  personal  transaction  between 
the  soul  and  Christ.  A  Christian  is 
one  who  realizing  his  sinful  life  and 
lost  condition  has  put  his  trust  in 
Christ  for  salvation. 

II.  A  Christian  is  one  who  bears 
the  name  of  Christ. 

At  least  he  ought  not  to  be 
ashamed  to  confess  Christ  by  open 
avowal.  "If  any  man  suffer  as  a 
Christian  let  him  not  be  ashamed." 
Take  the  name.  Abide  by  it  come 
what  may  on  that  account. 

Then,  too,  be  careful  not  to  dis- 
honor the  name. 

Alexander  the  Great  is  said  to  have 
had  a  soldier  in  his  army  of  the  same 
name  as  himself.  The  soldier  be- 
came known  as  a  great  coward. 
Alexander  sought  him  out  and  com- 
manded him :  "Either  change  your 
name  or  change  your  conduct." 
Bearing  the  name  of  Christ  we  should 
strive  ever  to  bear  it  worthily.  "Let 
him  that  nameth  the  name  of  Christ 
be  careful  to  depart  from  iniquity." 
Let  us  remember,  too,  that  the  name 
is  a  binding  name,  and  involves  the 
recognizing  of  brotherhood  with  all 
who  have  like  precious  faith  with 
ourselves.  If  we  are  Christians  we 
are  one  with  all,  the  world  over, 
who  strive  to  serve  our  common 
Master. 

III.  A  Christian  is  one  who  is 
trying  to  follow  in  Christ's  way.    He 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      151 


studies  to  know  Christ's  will  and  to 
do  it.  He  is  a  learner  in  Christ's 
school.  But  he  tries  faithfully  to 
improve.  He  may  not  succeed  as 
well  as  he  would  like,  but  he  "presses 
toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the 
high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus." 
He  is  a  disciple  trying  ever  to  catch 
the  spirit  of  his  Master.  And  it  does 
not  contradict  his  profession,  either, 
that  he  so  often  comes  short  of  what 
he  aims  to  do  or  be.  People  may 
expect  perfection  of  him.  They  may 
ridicule  him  when  he  fails.  But  all 
the  same  he  is  known  of  his  Mas- 
ter as  one  who  is  faithfully  trying  to 
be  what  he  would  have  him  be  and 
do  what  he  would  have  him  do. 

IV.  A  Christian  is  also  one  who 
is  enlisted  in  the  cause  of  Christ. 
He  not  only  strives  to  be  himself  like 
Christ,  to  heed  his  instruction  and 
imitate  his  character,  but  to  actively 
promote  his  cause.  He  enlists  heart- 
ily in  his  service.  He  strives  also  to 
get  others  to  enlist.  Saved  himself 
he  strives  to  save  others.  He  does 
all  the  good  he  can,  to  all  the  people 
he  can  in  all  the  ways  he  can,  as  long 
as  ever  he  can.  He  does  it  because 
he  loves  both  his  Master  and  his  Mas- 
ter's cause.  Christ's  interests  be- 
come his  interests ;  Christ's  cause  be- 
comes his  cause ;  Christ's  glory  be- 
comes his  glory. 

V.  A  Christian  is  one  who  will  be 
admitted  to  heaven. 

Having  accepted  Christ,  Christ  will 
accept  him  in  glory.  Having  ac- 
knowledged Christ,  Christ  will  ac- 
knowledge him  before  the  angels  in 
heaven.  Having  tried  to  follow 
Christ's  way,  Christ  will  bring  him 
entirely  into  that  way  through  the 
character  development  of  heaven. 
Having  enlisted  in  the  cause  of 
Christ,  Christ  will  give  him  part  in 
the  final  triumph.  Indeed,  having 
been  "faithful  unto  death,"  Christ 
will  give  him  that  "crown  of  life" 
which  _  he  has  reserved  for  all  that 
love  him. — H. 

Constraining   Love  of  Christ 

"The  love  of  Christ  constraineth 
us."    2  Cor.  5  :  14. 

An  incident  is  related  of  a  man 
who,  before  the  war,  traveling  in  the 
South,  became  much  interested  in  a 
young  colored  girl,  purchased  her 
from  her  master  and  gave  her  her 
liberty.  After  the  bargain  had  been 
made  with  her  owner  the  man  found 


difficulty  in  getting  the  girl  to  realize 
that  she  was  actually  free.  At  last 
it  did  dawn  upon  her  what  it  all 
meant,  but  instead  of  exulting  in  her 
new-found  liberty,  she  exclaimed : 
"Oh,  he  redeemed  me;  I  will  follow 
him ;  I  can  never  thank  him  enough ; 
I  will  serve  him  all  my  life!"  She 
did  accompany  him  to  his  Northern 
home,  and  as  people  marked  her  lov- 
ing attention  to  every  wish  of  her 
new-found  friend  it  seemed  her  ever- 
sufficient  reply,  "He  redeemed  me! 
He  redeemed  me !" 

So  have  we  as  Christians  One  who 
ransomed  us.  He  is  our  Redeemer, 
our  Saviour,  our  Friend.  He  died 
that  we  might  live.  Is  it  strange, 
then,  that  realizing  all  this  we  should 
often  say,  "The  love  of  Christ  con- 
straineth us"  ?  Here  is  the  true  spirit 
of  consecration,  which  lifts  our  lives 
above  the  compulsion  of  "must"  to 
the  region  of  a  glad  and  willing- 
hearted  service. 

I.  First,  the  love  of  Christ  is  the 
constraining  motive  under  which  we 
enter  the  Christian  life. 

This  is  what  Christ  referred  to 
when  he  said :  "I,  if  I  be  lifted  up, 
will  draw  all  men  unto  me."  No 
one  can  stand  before  the  cross,  realiz- 
ing that  the  Sufferer  is  dying  for 
him  and  not  be  moved.  "We  love 
him  because  he  first  loved  us."  That 
hymn  we  so  often  sing  pictures  ex- 
actly what  passes  through  the  soul  of 
the  sinner  in  sight  of  the  cross. 
Standing  with  eyes  upon  the  Divine 
Sufferer  he  exclaims: 

"Alas !  and  does  my  Saviour  bleed 
And  does  my  Sovereign  die ; 
Does  he  devote  that  sacred  head 
For  such  a  worm  as  I? 

"Is  it  for  crimes  that  I  have  done 

He  groans  upon  the  tree? 
Amazing  pity !     Grace  unknown  ! 
And  love  beyond  degree!" 

But  in  sight  of  such  love  as  that 
a  new  impulse  takes  possession  of 
him,  and  he  exclaims : 

"But  depths  of  grief  can  ne'er  repay 

The  debt  of  love  I  owe; 
Here,  Lord,  I  give  myself  to  Thee, 
'Tis  all  that  I  can  do." 

This  is  the  spiritual  analysis  of 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  con- 
versions.    The  love  of  Christ  is  the 


152 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


constraining  motive  under  which  we 
enter  the  Christian  life. 

II.  This  love,  too,  is  the  inciting 
motive  under  which  we  are  led  to 
an  open  confession  and  acknowledg- 
ment of  Christ. 

This  impulse  may  find  illustration 
by  the  case  of  a  soldier  at  the  battle 
of  Williamsburg.  He  had  the  artery 
of  his  arm  severed  by  a  fragment  of 
a  shell  and  was  fast  bleeding  to 
death.  His  life  could  be  saved  in  a 
moment  if  some  one  would  but  bind 
up  the  artery.  He  saw  a  surgeon 
riding  at  a  distance.  Lifting  his  hand 
he  called  to  him  for  help.  The  doc- 
tor dismounted  and  gave  the  needed 
relief.  As  he  started  to  go  the  man 
exclaimed :  "Doctor,  what  is  your 
name?"  "Oh!  no  matter  about  that," 
was  the  reply.  "But,  doctor,  I  want 
to  tell  my  wife  and  my  children  who 
it  was  that  saved  me !"  Just  so, 
when  Christ  comes  to  us  binding  up 
our  broken  hearts,  healing  our 
wounded  spirits,  and  saving  our  dy- 
ing souls,  is  it  any  wonder  that  there 
comes  a  longing  desire  to  tell  others 
what  he  has  done  for  us  and  openly 
confess  him  everywhere?  "The  love 
of  Christ  constraineth  us."  It 
should  never  be  a  hard,  but  a  very 
glad  and  happy  thing  to  openly  ac- 
knowledge and  confess  our  Sav- 
iour. 

III.  Again,  love  is  the  impelling 
motive  back  of  all  self-denial,  self- 
sacrifice  and  labor  for  Christ. 

The  true  Christian  does  not  give 
up  sinful  indulgences  because  he 
must,  but  because  he  desires  to  do 
so.  The  love  of  Christ  constraining, 
he  desires  to  deny  himself  for 
Christ's  sake.  Self-sacrifice  for  Christ 
becomes  pleasure  and  work  for  him 
the  highest  delight. — H. 

Peter's  Downward  Steps:  a  Warn- 
ing 

"And  there  was  also  a  strife  among 
them,"   etc.     Luke  22:24-62. 

The  Bible  teaches  not  only  by  pre- 
cept, but  by  example.  When  it  would 
inculcate  faith  we  have  a  catalogue 
of  faith-filled  men,  as  in  the  elev- 
enth chapter  of  Hebrews.  So  are  we 
warned  of  the  danger  of  denying 
Christ  by  the  example  of  Peter. 
Satan  still  desires  to  "have"  souls 
that  he  may  "sift"  them. 

Peter's  fall  was  not  altogether  sud- 
den. It  was  not  accomplished  in  him 
by  a  single  act  of  apostacy.     It  was 


a  cumulative  result.  Something  led 
up  to  it.  As  some  one  has  said, 
"Men  fall  as  trees  do,  by  becoming 
rotten  at  the  heart."  There  must  be 
some  weakening  process  of  decay 
leading  up  to  a  Christian's  fall.  In 
Peter's  case  that  process  is  clearly 
traced.  Let  us  note  its  progressive 
downward  steps. 

I.  We  see  him  with  the  other  dis- 
ciples quarreling  among  themselves  as 
to  who  should  be  greatest.  The  in- 
dulgence of  such  a  spirit  in  the  Chris- 
tian always  leads  to  worse  things. 
Christ  rebuked  this  sin  in  them,  and 
taught  them  a  lesson  of  humility. 
He  told  them  they  could  be  great 
only  by  being  great  servants.  He 
said  the  kings  of  the  Gentiles  exer- 
cise lordship  over  them,  but  impres- 
sively added,  "It  shall  not  be  so 
among  you."  Among  his  disciples 
greatness  was  to  be  measured  by 
serviceableness. 

II.  We  find  him  in  the  face  of 
tenderest  and  most  direct  warning, 
self-confident  and  boasting.  He  said, 
"I  am  ready  to  go  with  Thee  both 
unto  prison  and  to  death."  Another 
evangelist  puts  it  even  stronger : 
"Though  all  men  should  deny  Thee, 
yet  will  not  I."  But  how  little  he 
knew  his  own  weakness !  How  ut- 
terly he  overestimated  his  own 
strength !  And  this  very  confidence 
in  self,  in  the  face  of  warning,  is  al- 
ways a  sign  of  weakness  and  sin  in 
the  soul.  Bravest  soldiers  turn  white 
as  they  go  into  battle.  Only  cow- 
ards enter  thoughtlessly.  "Put  no 
confidence  in  the  flesh."  Peter  was 
too  self-confident. 

III.  We  see  him  sleeping  while  his 
Master  is  wrestling  with  the  powers 
of  darkness  in  the  garden.  Christ 
came  to  them  and  said,  "Why  sleep 
ye !  rise  and  pray  lest  ye  enter  into 
temptation."  Sleeping  was  not  a  very 
promising  sign  of  superior  devotion. 
Here  Peter  shows  that  he  was  no 
stronger  than  others. 

IV.  We  see  him  following  his 
Master  afar  off.  Is  this  the  man 
who  was  ready  to  go  to  prison  and  to 
death  with  him?  who  was  going  to 
stand  by  him  though  all  men  for- 
sook him?  He  has  certainly  gone 
back  not  a  little.  "Afar  off"  por- 
tends worse  things  to  come.  It  is 
away  from  the  source  of  inspiration 
and  strength. 

V.  Still  another  step,  we  see  this 
disciple  sitting  down  among  Christ's 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      153 


enemies  and  warming  himself  at  their 
fire.  And  this,  too,  while  Christ  was 
undergoing  shameful  treatment.  It 
is  bad  for  any  of  us  when  we  take 
our  place  among  Christ's  enemies, 
when  we  warm  ourselves  at  their 
fires,  when  we  "sit  down  among 
them."  When  we  act  with  them  we 
are  counted  with  them,  and  we  are 
in  a  current  that  is  hard  for  us  to 
stem. 

VI.  One  step  more :  We  are  pre- 
pared to  see  him  take  it — that  last, 
headlong,  miserable  plunge  of  denial. 
Three  times  he  denied  him,  each  time 
in  more  shameful  way  than  the  last, 
until  he  added  cursing  and  blasphemy 
to  his  lying.  How  rapid  the  descent! 
How  complete  the  fall !  How  base 
the  desertion,  and  this  at  the  time  of 
Christ's  extreme  need ! 

Learn  the  immeasurable  peril  of 
just  one  act  of  wrong  doing. 

Learn  how  commonplace  in  seem- 
ing is  even  the  most  notable  sin. 

Learn  that  one  denial  makes  a  fatal 
facility  for  doing  it  again. 

Remember  that  there  is  repentance 
unto  life.  Such  repentance  Peter 
afterwards  showed. — H. 

A    New   Creature 

"If  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a 
new  creature."    2  Cor.  5  :  17. 

I.  His  judgments  are  new.  His 
judgment  of  himself,  of  God,  of  the 
purpose  of  life,  or  happiness  is 
formed  by  truth. 

II.  His  purposes  are  new.  His 
great  purpose  is  to  serve  God.  Every 
other  purpose  is  subservient  to  this 
one  grand  master  purpose  of  his  new 
being. 

III.  His  desires  are  new.  "Whom 
have  I  in  heaven  but  thee,"  etc. 

IV.  Llis  conversation  is  new.  He 
spake  of  things  above. 

V.  His  actions  are  new.  He  walks 
in  Christ. 

Bring  Them  In 

"Go  out  and  compel  them  to  come 
in."    Luke  14 :  23. 

Men  need  to  be  constrained  to 
come  to  God.  It  was  for  this  pur- 
pose that  we  ourselves  were  saved, 
that  we  might  be  of  service  in  bring- 
ing others  to  Christ.  We  could  do 
this  service  if  we  went  about  it  in 
the  right  way.     It  can  be  done  by 

d)  Getting  interested  in  the  whole 
man.  There's  more  to  a  man  than 
his  soul,  and  we   ought   to  be  con- 


cerned about  the  man  in  his  entirety. 
Practical  Christianity  is  needed. 

(2)  Giving  a  cordial  welcome  to 
the  stranger  in  the  house  of  God. 

(3)  A  cheerful  Christian  disposi- 
tion. 

(4)  An  earnest,  consistent  Chris- 
tian life. 

— Rev.  W.  E.  Biederwolf,  D.D. 

The  Worth  of  a  Man 

"How  much  is  a  man  better  than  a 
sheep."     Matt.  12:  12. 

The  soul  of  man  is  immortal. 
Then  three  things  follow : 

(1)  One  man  is  worth  just  as 
much  as  another.  Manhood  is  not 
measured  by  the  purse,  nor  fr-  inches 
nor  brains. 

(2)  We  ought  to  be  more  con- 
cerned about  the  salvation  of  a  man 
than  the  safety  of  a  sheep.  That 
goes  without  saying,  but  it  also  goes 
without  practicing. 

(3)  We  ought  to  be  more  con- 
cerned about  our  own  souls  than 
some  of  us  are. — Rev.  W.  E.  Bieder- 
wolf, D.D. 

The  Will  to  Be  Saved 

"I  will  arise  and  go."     Luke  15:  18. 

I.  The  love  of  God  is  immeasura- 
ble ;  but  were  it  a  thousand  times  as 
infinite  as  it  is,  it  could  not  save  the 
sinner  against  his  will.  The  hand  of 
Christ  that  was  pierced  for  our  de- 
liverance is  extended  in  vain  unless 
the  sinner  grasps  it.  The  door  of 
the  Father's  house  is  open ;  but  the 
prodigal  must  arise  and  go. 

II.  And  when  he  resolves  to  re- 
turn to  the  Father's  house,  it  is 
obvious  that  he  must  return  by  the 
way  that  leads  to  it.  "I  am  the  way," 
said  Jesus ;  "no  man  cometh  unto  the 
Father  but  by  me."  Absolutely  there 
is  no  other  way.  "I  am  the  door," 
said  Jesus ;  but  so  far  as  the  salva- 
tion of  the  sinner  is  concerned  the 
door  might  just  as  well  have  re- 
mained shut  unless  he  wills  to  enter 
it. — Rev.  David  James  Burrell,  D.D. 

Knowing   and    Doing 

"To  him  that  knoweth  to  do  good 
and  doeth  it  not,  it  is  sin."    Jas.  4 :  17. 

The  meanest  man  in  the  world  is 
the  man  who  won't  do  what  he  knows 
he  ought  to  do ;  the  cowardliest  man 
in  the  world  is  the  man  who  is  afraid 
to  do  it.  The  text  applied  to  four 
different  kinds  of  men: 

(1)  The  hypocrite. 


154 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


(2)  The  man  who  is  delaying  his 
decision  for  Jesus  Christ. 

(3)  The  backslider. 

(4)  The  Christian  who  is  not  con- 
cerned for  the  soul  of  his  neighbor. 
— Rev.  W.  E.  Biederwolf,  D.D. 

Daily  Things  in  Christian  Life 

I.  Daily  renewing  of  the  inner 
man.    2  Cor.  4 :  16. 

II.  Daily  reading  of  the  Word. 
Neh.  8:18. 

III.  Daily  prayer  to  the  Lord. 
Psa.  76:3. 

IV.  Daily  praising  of  the  Lord. 
Psa.  72:15. 

V.  Daily  exhortation  of  one  an- 
other.    Heb.  3 :  13. 

VI.  Daily  cross  to  bear.  Luke  9: 
23. 

Being  Saved  by  Saving 

"They  that  turn  many  to  righteous- 
ness shall  shine  as  the  stars  forever 
and  ever."     Dan.  12  :  3. 

We  are  saved  by  faith  in  Jesus, 
but  rewards  are  according  to  service. 
If  we  sow  sparingly,  we  shall  reap 
also  sparingly.  Every  child  of  God 
may  have  an  abundant  entrance  into 
the  life  eternal,  or  be  saved  so  as  by 
fire.  Moses  had  respect  unto  the 
recompense  of  the  reward,  therefore 
he  renounced  Egypt  for  Christ. 

I.  The  greatest  work  of  the  Chris- 
tian world  is  telling  others  of  Jesus. 
This  is  our  true  ideal.  Hitch  your 
soul  to  a  star  by  helping  to  save  an- 
other soul.  It  is  said  that  an  old 
mountaineer  always  directed  the 
stranger  by  saying,  "Always  take  the 
upper  turn  in  the  road."  So  heav- 
enly voices  invite  us  to  look  up  and 
lift  up.  As  we  see  the  resplendent 
gems  studding  the  night  with  glory 
and  hear  them  say,  "Come  up  higher, 
and  shine  among  us  forever,"  we 
reach  out  for  another  precious  im- 
mortal to  join  us  in  the  constellations 
of  heaven  for  Jesus'  sake,  for  his 
own  sake  and  for  your  sake,  whose 
reward  shall  be  great. 

II.  Let  us  not  be  like  those  who 
may  have  crowns  without  a  single 
star,  but  like  those  who  have  not  a 
single  star  lacking  in  their  crown. 
We  shall  not  be  like  the  unknown 
graves  in  a  soldiers'  cemetery,  but 
well  known,  for  each  will  shine  with 
a  luster  all  his  own.  Let  us  there- 
fore run  so  that  we  may  obtain  an 
incorruptible  crown,  full  of  soul  gems, 
growing  brighter  forever. 


Our  Best  Helper 

"I  will  help  thee."     Isa.  41 :  10. 

I  and  thee.  Two  persons.  The 
person  speaking  is  Jesus  our  God 
who  can  help,  and  the  person  spoken 
to  means  everybody  who  needs  his 
help  and   seeks   it. 

I.  He  is  always  near  to  help. 

II.  He  is  always  able  to  help. 

III.  He  is  always  willing  to  help. 

IV.  He  is  always  kind  in  helping. 

Seeking  the  Lord 

"Seek  the  Lord,  and  ye  shall  live." 
Amos  5 : 6. 

Israel  was  in  the  days  of  the 
prophet  Amos  wicked  and  rebellious 
and  saw  that  they  were  bringing 
wretchedness,  ruin  and  death  upon 
themselves  as  a  result  of  their  sinful 
conduct,  hence  he  calls  upon  them 
to  seek  him,  assuring  them  that  their 
condition,  though  lamentable,  is  not 
hopeless. 

The  words  of  God  through  his 
prophet  are  applicable  to  us  to-day. 

I.  The  duty  urged.  "Seek  the 
Lord."     This  implies 

(1)  First,  the  fact  that  many  have 
lost  God.  "Your  iniquities  have  sepa- 
rated between  you  and  your  God." 

(2)  Secondly,  that  men  must 
awaken  to  the  fact  that  they  have 
lost  God.  Before  we  can  seek  God 
we  must  become  deeply  conscious  of 
what  we  have  lost. 

(3)  Thirdly,  it  implies  the  duty  of 
earnest  inquiry  as  to  how  the  Lord 
may  be  found.  The  soul  in  earnest 
to  pursue.  "Oh,  that  I  knew  where 
I  might  find  him."  "What  shall  I  do 
to  be  saved  ?"  This  ■  is  the  language 
of  the  penitent  in  search  of  God. 

(4)  It  implies  finally  the  coming  to 
God  in  the  way  of  his  appointment. 
(1)  Confessing  sin.  (2)  Forsaking 
sin.  (3)  With  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

II.  The  encouragement  given. 
"And  ye  shall  live."  "If  by  one  man's 
offence  death  reigned  by  one ;  much 
more  they  that  receive  abundance  of 
grace,  and  of  the  gift  of  righteous- 
ness, shall  reign  in  life  by  one,  Jesus 
Christ."     "Ye  shall  live." 

(1)  Live  in  happy  and  intimate 
communion  with  God. 

(2)  Live  in  the  life  abundant 
Christ  gives  and  the  full  exercise  of 
your  God-given  powers. 

(3)  Live  eternally.  "Whosoever 
believeth  in  him  shall  not  perish,  but 
have  everlasting  life." 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      155 


Con. 
Lord." 


'It    is    time    to    seek    the 


Lovest  Thou  Me? 

"Lovest  thou  me?"     John  21:16. 

I.  Consider  the  feelings  of  a  true 
Christian  toward  Christ.  A  true 
Christian  is  not  simply  a  baptized 
person,  a  church-member,  a  respecter 
of  religion,  but  he  is  a  person  who 
has  some  definite  relations  toward 
Christ.  He  trusts  Christ  as  his  only 
hope  of  salvation.  He  hopes  in 
Christ  as  the  one  who  fulfills  his  ex- 
pectations. He  follows  Christ  as 
his  example  and  the  one  who  will 
lead  him  to  heaven.  And,  above  all, 
he  loves  Christ ;  he  has  a  personal 
attachment  to  him,  and  a  delight  in 
him,  in  his  will,  in  his  success. 

Love  indeed,  is  the  mainspring  of 
all  service  to  Christ.  The  heart 
must  be  enlisted  before  the  hands 
will  move.  The  true  Christian  says, 
"The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  me." 
Where  this  love  is  lacking  there  may 
be,  indeed,  excitement,  enlistment,  in- 
terest for  a  time,  but  no  patient  con- 
tinuance in  well  doing.  Love  is  the 
secret  of  the  Christian's  persistence 
in  well  doing.  The  soldier  fights 
best  who  has  love  for  a  commander, 
or  a  cause.  There  may  be,  and 
usually  is,  a  great  difference  between 
the  interest  of  a  nurse  who,  as  a 
stranger,  is  employed  to  care  for  a 
sick  child  and  the  feelings  and  atten- 
tion of  the  mother.  It  is  love  that 
constrains  the  mother  and  leads  to 
highest  devotion. 

II.  How  this  love  to  Christ  makes 
itself  known. 

(1)  If  we  love  him  we  will  like  to 
think  about  him.  It  is  the  character- 
istic of  love  that  it  likes  to  dwell  in 
thought  upon  the  object  of  its  love. 
So  a  true  Christian  will  not  forget 
Christ,  —  Christ's  wishes,  Christ's 
cause,  Christ's  honor.  Love  will 
bring  often  recurring  thoughts  to  our 
Saviour  and  attention   to   his   will. 

(2)  If  we  love  him  we  will  be 
glad  to  hear  about  him. 

"How    sweet    the    name    of    Jesus 
sounds 
In  a  believer's  ear." 

We  like  to  hear  of  those  whom  we 
love. 

(3)  If  we  love  him  we  will  be  glad 
to  read  about  him.  We  always  re- 
joice to  receive  a  message  from  an 
absent    child,    a   husband    or    friend. 


So  the  messages  Christ  sends  will  be 
the   Christian's   delight. 

(4)  If  we  love  him  we  will  try 
to  please  him.  This  is  a  trait  of  love ; 
it  always  considers  what  will  gratify 
the  loved  one.  If  we  love  him  we 
will  try  to  do  the  things  he  will  ap- 
prove. We  will  strive  not  to  do  things 
he  disapproves.  Love  does  not  mur- 
mur that  Christ's  requirements  are 
strict;  it  is  scarcely  aware  that  they 
are !  "The  yoke  is  easy  and  the  bur- 
den light."     This  is  because  of  love. 

(5)  If  you  love  him  you  will  love 
his  friends.  This  is  a  well  known 
trait  of  love.  We  love  our  friends' 
friends. 

(6)  If  we  love  him  we  will  be  very 
careful  of  his  good  name  and  honor. 
This  is  another  universal  sign  of 
love. 

(7)  If  we  love  him  we  will  love 
to  talk  to  him,  and  be  with  him ! 
This  is  why  Christians  go  to  places 
where  he  is  found.  It  is  also  a  rea- 
son why  they  look  forward  with  de- 
light toward  Heaven. 

Test  yourselves.  Do  you  love 
him?— H. 

According  to  Your  Faith:  Prepara- 
tion for   Revival 

"According  to  your  faith  be  it  unto 
you."     St.  Matt.  9 :  9. 

Entered  upon  another  year  of  labor 
for  Christ  and  his  cause,  every  true 
minister,  officer  and  member  of  our 
churches  is  wishing  to  be  more  con- 
secrated and  successful  than  ever  be- 
fore. As  Christian  workers  we  all 
agree  in  hoping  to  see  in  the  weeks 
and  months  just  before  us  multitudes 
of  souls  won  to  Christ  and  his 
Church. 

I.  The  hindering  power  of  un- 
belief. 

If  we  are  disappointed  in  seeing 
the  blessings  we  desire,  let  us  know 
that  the  reason  will  be  found  prin- 
cipally in  the  sin  of  unbelief.  In 
each  church  the  measure  of  our  bless- 
ings will  be  according  to  the  measure 
of  our  faith.  Recall  that  incident  of 
Christ's  visit  to  Nazareth.  It  was 
his  old  home,  his  own  neighborhood 
where  he  was  brought  up,  and  he 
came  laden  with  blessings  for  his  old 
friends  and  associates  if  they  would 
accept ;  "but"  it  is  recorded,  "he 
could  not  do  many  mighty  works 
there  because  of  their  unbelief."  As 
Christ  came  to  the  synagogue  that 
day  ready  to  bless  the  people  so  is  it 


156 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


when  he  visits  his  churches  still. 
And  as  the  measure  of  the  blessing 
was  according  to  the  measure  of  their 
faith,  so  it  is  still. 

In  order  then  to  receive  fulness  of 
blessing,  how  important  is  it  that  we 
swing  wide  open  the  door  of  faith. 
How  often  we  are  like  those  Chris- 
tians praying  for  Peter  in  prison ! 
Bring  to  mind  the  scene.  The  people 
praying  for  his  release ;  while  they 
were  praying  he  knocked  at  the  door; 
but  they  would  not  believe  it  was 
Peter.  He  continued  knocking. 
When  they  opened  the  door  and  saw 
it  was  indeed  he,  they  were  "aston- 
ished" !  Think  of  it.  The  Church 
praying.  God  answering.  And  the 
people  astonished !  How  often  it  is 
that  Christ,  consistently  with  his  own 
character,  really  cannot  do  many 
mighty  works  in  our  churches  "be- 
cause of  our  unbelief." 

II.    The  obtaining  power  of  faith. 

Oh,  members  of  Christ's  beloved 
Church,  why  not  open  wide  the  door 
of  faith  and  ask  and  undertake  and 
expect  great  things  from  the  Lord? 
Let  us  lay  our  plans  wide  and  large. 
He  says,  "According  to  your  faith 
be  it  unto  you."  It  is  as  if  one  very 
rich  were  to  hand  us  a  blank  check 
with  his  name  signed,  and  say,  "Now, 
fill  it  out  yourself;  write  in!  the 
amount  you  would  draw,  and  accord- 
ing to  your  faith  in  me  be  it  unto 
you."  We  might  hesitate  to  make 
too  large  a  draft  upon  an  earthly 
friend,  but  there  is  no  need  to  draw 
lightly  upon  God.  Instead,  he  is 
honored  and  pleased  when  we  make 
large  drafts. 

Not  long  before  his  death  it  was 
our  privilege  to  meet  at  Clinton 
Springs,  N.  Y.,  that  grand  old  Chris- 
tian philanthropist,  George  H.  Stuart. 
Just  after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 
when  medicines  were  very  scarce, 
Mr.  Stuart,  then  the  head  of  the 
Christian  Commission,  telegraphed 
to  the  merchants  of  Boston,  "May  I 
draw  on  you  at  sight  for  ten  thou- 
sand dollars?"  The  telegram  was 
posted  in  the  Exchange.  Thirty 
minutes  later  there  flashed  back  along 
the  wire:  "Draw  on  us  for  sixty 
thousand !"  Lord,  increase  our  faith. 
May  it  not  be  that  we  are  asking 
and  expecting  only  a  little  of  the 
quickening  of  the  Spirit?  Asking 
and  expecting  to  see  only  a  few  souls 
saved?  asking  and  expecting  God  to 
honor  a  small  draft  only,  when   the 


reply  comes  flashing  from  his  throne : 
"Not  ten  thousand,  but  sixty  thou- 
sand !  Prove  me  now.  Honor  me 
with  a  large  draft.  Put  me  to  the 
proof,  if  I  will  not  open  the  windows 
of  heaven  and  pour  out  a  blessing 
that  there  shall  not  be  room  enough 
to  receive."  Nothing  can  hinder  the 
richest  blessings  \\d  could  wish — 
nothing  but  unbelief.  Unbelief  stops 
prayer,  stops  expectation,  stops  work, 
cuts  the  very  nerve  and  sinew  of 
effort.  But  faith  removes  mountains, 
surmounts  difficulties,  overcomes  the 
world,  brings  sure  success.  "If  thou 
canst  believe ;  all  things  are  possible 
to  him  that  believeth." — H. 

Warning  Against  Shipwreck:  Post 
Revival 

"Holding  faith  and  a  good  con- 
science; which  some  having  put 
away,  concerning  faith  have  made 
shipwreck."     1  Timothy  1  :  19. 

A  few  years  ago  it  was  our  privi- 
lege to  have  place  on  a  ship  that  was 
being  launched,  and  feel  the  thrill  of 
excitement  as  she  shot  down  the 
stays  and  plunged  into  her  ocean 
home.  After  the  momentary  excite- 
ment of  the  motion  of  the  ship,  the 
cheering  of  the  multitude,  the  be- 
stowing upon  the  vessel  of  a  name, 
there  came  the  thought  of  not  a  little 
solemnity  in  considering  the  many 
storms  the  boat  would  likely  have  to 
meet.  Nor  were  these  thoughts  ill- 
conceived,  for  upon  the  first  voyage 
she  was  caught  in  a  violent  gale  and 
had  her  bowsprit  carried  away.  We 
are  glad  to  say  that  she  is  floating 
still  and  doing  good  service.  Never- 
theless, we  still  consider  it  a  solemn 
and  impressive  sight  to  see  any  ves- 
sel start  on  its  life  voyage,  for  it  al- 
ways brings  up  the  thought  as  to 
what  she  may  meet. 

If  this  is  true  of  a  vessel  how  much 
more  so  of  a  Christian  starting,  or 
even  some  distance  on,  in  the  voyage 
of  life.  Paul  plainly  speaks  of  some 
who  having  put  away  faith  and  a 
good  conscience,  have  made  spiritual 
shipwreck — are  wrecked  for  two 
worlds.  Let  us  pay  heed  to  some 
warnings  to  prevent  such  shipwreck. 

I.    Don't   lose  your   reckoning. 

Paul  mentions  at  least  two  ways  of 
doing  this. 

(1)  By  putting  away  faith.  There 
are  many  who  in  their  early  homes 
were  taught  the  truth  of  God  and 
were  well  instructed  in  the  way  of 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      157 


life,  but  they  have  let  intellectual 
pride  come  in.  They  are  not  true  to 
the  religion  of  their  fathers.  They 
have  gradually  put  away  faith.  They 
are  resting  now  only  in  some  theory 
of  future  probation  or  "eternal  hope," 
are  just  drifting,  or  answer  all  ques- 
tions with  the  agnostic's  reply,  "I 
don't  know."  Where  are  you  spirit- 
ually? "1  don't  know."  How  do 
you  stand  related  to  God  and  etern- 
ity? "I  don't  know."  Then,  my 
dear  friend,  you  have  lost  your 
reckoning. 

After  a  voyage  of  three  thousand 
miles  the  Schiller  was  wrecked  on 
Bishop's  Rock,  at  the  very  foot  of 
Bishop's  Rock  Lighthouse.  Captain 
Thomas  thought  he  was  two  miles  at 
least  off  the  rocks,  but  he  really  did 
not  know  where  he  was.  His  mis- 
take sent  three  hundred  and  forty- 
two  souls   unwarned  to  eternity. 

But  ship  captains  are  not  the  only 
people  who  lose  their  reckoning. 
Every  day  you  can  find  people  who 
do  not  know  where  they  are.  Ask 
them  how  they  stand  related  to  God 
and  Christ  and  the  Bible  and  heaven. 
They  cannot  tell  you.  They  are  sail- 
ing thoughtlessly — maybe  recklessly 
— almost  upon  an  awful  reef  of  de- 
struction ;  and  yet  they  go  on.  Let 
me  entreat  you  to  stop.  Stop !  Stop 
stockstill  until  you  find  out  where 
you  are  !  \  ou  are  running  in  a  fog. 
The  law  requires  you  to  stop  and  get 
your  reckoning.  It  is  an  awful  thing 
for  one  to  put  away  faith,  lose  his 
reckoning  and,  drifting,  make  ship- 
wreck of  the  soul. 

(2)  By  tampering  with  conscience. 
Indeed,  nearly  everyone  who  goes 
wrong  begins  in  this  way. 

A  few  years  ago  one  of  our  fine 
Cunarders  lost  her  reckoning  and 
came  near  being  lost.  When  they 
discovered  the  cause  they  found  that 
a  nail  had  been  driven  in  the  pilot- 
house carelessly  near  the  compass, 
and  had  deflected  it  a  little  so  that 
it  was  not  trustworthy  to  steer  by. 
To  be  sure,  the  deflection  was  very 
slight,  but  in  the  width  of  an  ocean 
voyage  it  made  not  a  little  difference 
in  the  direction  of  the  vessel. 

Just  so  it  is  with  conscience;  it  is 
liable  to  be  deflected  by  very  little 
things.  This  is  one  reason  why  we 
should  always  act  with  decision  even 
in  the  smallest  matters  of  duty — in 
order  to  keep  conscience  true.  If 
you  allow  it  to  be  deflected  even  a 


little  you  will  lose  your  reckoning, 
and  losing  your  reckoning  you  are 
liable  to  make  shipwreck  of  your 
soul. 

II.    Avoid  the  rocks. 

There  are  many.  We  will  mention 
only  a   few. 

(1)  Avoid  the  rock  of  covetous- 
ness.  God  has  put  a  text  as  a  light- 
house to  warn  us  off  this  rock:  "Take 
heed  and  beware  of  covetousness." 

(2)  Avoid  the  rock  of  evil  com- 
pany. Many  a  fine  vessel  has  been 
wrecked  on  this  rock.  Here  is  an- 
other light-house  if  we  will  heed  it: 
"The  companion  of  fools  shall  be 
destroyed." 

(3)  Avoid  the  rock  of  irreverence 
for  the  Sabbath.  Not  a  few  have  run 
upon  that  rock  and  made  shipwreck 
of  the  soul.  Here  is  the  light-house: 
"Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep 
it  holy." 

(4)  Avoid  the  rock  of  spiritual 
procrastination.  People  know  their 
duty;  why  will  they  delay  in  matters 
of  the  soul?  When  the  Loch  Earn 
and  the  Ville  du  Havre  collided,  in 
just  twelve  minutes  the  second  named 
went  down  with  two  hundred  and 
twelve  souls.  How  much  time  had 
they  to  prepare?  It  is  better,  like 
one  of  these  passengers,  a  young 
Princeton  graduate,  Hamilton  Mur- 
ray, to  be  ready.  Many  intend  to  be- 
come Christians,  but  delay.  Here 
is  another  divinely  erected  light- 
house to  warn  off  this  rock :  "Grieve 
not  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God." 

Keep  your  reckoning.  Keep  off  the 
rocks. — H. 

Conversion:  Its  Means  and  Tests 

"Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?" 
etc.     Acts  16:30-34. 

I.    Its  necessity. 

Think  for  a  moment  of  some  in^ 
evitable  things.  For  example:  If  I 
go  overland  to  California  I  must 
scale  the  Rocky  Mountains.  If  I 
ever  get  sight  of  Europe  I  must 
cross  the  Atlantic.  If  I  am  ever  to 
see  the  light  I  must  have  eyes.  So 
there  are  some  "musts"  in  religion ; 
Christ  used  the  word  "must"  fre- 
quently. He  applied  it  to  this  thought 
of  the  necessity  of  conversion ; 
"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  ye 
must  be  born  again."  There  are  peo- 
ple who  do  not  like  that  doctrine. 
We  know  a  woman  who  left  an  ortho- 
dox church  and  joined  the  Univer- 
salists,    saying   that   her    reason    for 


158 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


doing  so  was  to  get  rid  of  hearing 
about  conversion.  But  Christ  made 
it  as  plain  as  any  teaching.  He 
taught  regeneration  or  conversion  is 
necessary  if  we  are  to  enter  the  King- 
dom of  God.  The  method  is  mys- 
terious. "The  wind  bloweth  where 
it  listeth,  and  thou  hearest  the  sound 
thereof  but  canst  not  tell  whence  it 
cometh  or  whither  it  goeth :  so  is 
everyone  that  is  born  of  the  Spirit." 
We  can  understand  how  necessary 
the  new  birth  is  when  we  consider 
our  sinful  state  by  nature.  We  are 
"dead  in  trespasses  and  in  sin."  We 
are  not  simply  sick  and  able,  with  a 
little  effort,  to  cure  ourselves.  We 
are  not  entirely  well  and  able  to  save 
ourselves ;  but  we  are  dead  and  can 
only  live  by  Divine  grace  placing 
within  us  and  fanning  to  a  flame  the 
spark  of   life. 

II.  What  this  change  is. 

It  must  be  considered  from  two 
sides — the   Divine  and  the  human. 

(1)  From  the  Divine  side  it  is 
called  regeneration.  It  is  the  result 
of  an  act  by  a  power  outside  of  our- 
selves. It  is  due  to  God's  choice  of 
us.  It  is  due  to  God's  bringing  his 
truth  to  bear  upon  us.  It  is  due  to 
God's  working  by  his  Spirit  within 
us.  It  is  a  new  birth,  a  regeneration 
— beginning  to  live  over  again. 

(2)  From  the  human  side  it  is 
spoken  of  as  conversion.  Conversion 
is  simply  turning  about.  It  is  walk- 
ing along  the  road  in  one  direction, 
then  turning  and  walking  in  the  op- 
posite direction.  It  is  changing  from 
the  life  of  evil  to  the  life  of  good. 
It  is  changing  from  the  doing  evil  to 
doing  good.  In  the  evening  the 
Philippian  Jailer  was  most  cruelly 
treating  Paul  and  Silas.  Before 
morning  he  was  washing  their  stripes 
and  showing  them  every  attention. 
That  was  a  conversion — a  turning 
about.  Conversion  is  man's  surren- 
der to  God.  It  is  "right  about  face." 
It  is,  of  course,  usually  the  direct  re- 
sult of   regeneration. 

III.  The  means  of  conversion. 
(1)   In  this  case  we  have  first  the 

praying  and  singing  of  the  apostles. 
The  prisoners  were  listening.  Con- 
version usually  comes  about  in  the 
same  way  still.  It  is  as  some  sound 
is  heard ;  such  as  the  praying  of  a 
body  of  God's  people  or  their  sing- 
ing, or  as  some  one  preaches  or 
teaches  the  Word  that  the  Spirit  ap- 
plies the  truth  to  those  who  hear. 


(2)  There  was,  secondly,  the  shock 
of  the  earthquake.  So  is  it  still.  The 
soul  is  arrested  by  some  sudden  cir- 
cumstances— loss  of  property,  severe 
disappointment,  a  death  in  the  family, 
or  something  that  brings  a  shock.  It 
is  when  our  attention  is  riveted  that 
the  Spirit  takes  hold  of  us  and  con- 
version results. 

(3)  Faith. 

Faith  is  the  assent  of  the  intellect 
and  the  consent  of  the  will.  It  is  the 
yielding  to  Christ  as  Lord. 

IV.    Tests  of  conversion. 

(1)  Rejoicingly  hearing  God's 
word.  A  man  who  has  turned  to 
the  Lord  will  want  to  hear  all  he 
can  about  him.  This  was  one  indi- 
cation of  the  jailer's  conversion.  He 
invited  the  apostles  to  speak  to  him 
freely  in  regard  to  the  way  to  live. 

(2)  An  immediate  change  of  life. 
This  was  noticeable  in  the  jailer,  for 
he  was  transformed  at  once  from  a 
cruel  jailer  to  a  merciful  nurse.  "He 
took  them  the  same  hour  of  the  night 
and  washed  their  stripes." 

(3)  Immediate  confession  of  Christ. 
"And  was  baptized."  He  did  not 
delay  to  make  it  known  that  he 
hoped  for  salvation  through  Christ. 
He  did  not  wish  to  be  a  disciple 
secretly.  One  of  the  best  indications 
of  conversion  is  that  a  man  should 
desire  to  make  an  open  confession  of 
faith  in  Christ,  of  love  for  him  and 
a  purpose  to   strive  to  serve  him. 

(4)  Helpfulness.  "And  when  he 
had  brought  them  into  his  house,  he 
set  meat  before  them."  When  people 
begin  to  feed  others  it  is  a  good 
sign.  When  they  begin  to  be  help- 
ful to  those  about  them  and  promote 
the  cause  of  Christ  you  may  be  pretty 
sure  that  they  have  experienced  the 
converting  grace  of  Christ. 

(5)  Joy  in  new  life.  It  says  that 
the  jailer  "rejoiced."  Christian  joy 
is  a  good  sign  of  possessing  a  Chris- 
tian heart. 

(6)  The  man's  home  was  changed. 
The  change  reached  the  conduct  of 
his  household.  A  blessing  came  to 
others  besides  himself  that  day. 
This  is  the  way  sound  conversion  af- 
fects the  lives  of  men.  We  may  test 
our  ground  for  hope  by  this  incident 
of  the  Philippian  jailer. — H. 

Inexcusable   Idleness:    Preparation 
for  Revival 
"Why   stand   ye   here   all   the   day 
idle  ?"     Matt.  20 :  6. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      159 


There  is  reproof  in  this  question. 
The  answer  given  by  the  men,  "Be- 
cause no  man  has  hired  us,"  did  not 
seem  to  be  a  complete  vindication. 
In  any  case  as  we  apply  the  ques- 
tion to  workers  in  Christ's  vineyard 
to-day  it  certainly  suggests  the 
thought  of  inexcusable  idleness. 
"Why  stand  ye  here  all  the  day  idle?" 

I.  Why?  The  vineyard  is  so 
spacious ! 

The  fields  are  so  wide  and  large. 
There  is  so  much  to  be  done.  Lifting 
up  our  eyes  we  see  the  wide  fields — ■ 
fields  in  India,  fields  in  Africa,  fields 
in  the  islands  of  the  sea.  Yes,  and 
there  are  even  wide  unharvested 
fields  in  our  own  land,  and  in  com- 
munities where  we  live.  "Go — work 
— to-day — in  my  vineyard."  "Why 
stand  ve  here  all  the  day  idle?" 

II.  Why?     The  Master  is  so  kind! 

He  is  not  a  hard  task-master,  driv- 
ing and  forcing  his  laborers  beyond 
their  power.  He  is  a  good  master 
to  work  for,  because, 

(1)  He  does  not  expect  impossi- 
bilities of  us. 

(2)  He  sympathizes  with  our  dif- 
ficulties. 

(3)  He  makes  good  provision  for 
us.  He  feeds  us  with  the  best  of 
food.  He  guards  us  from  enemies 
while  we  work.  There  is  in  the 
vineyard  a  tower  with  watchmen 
upon  its  walls,  and  so  we  are  pro- 
tected in  our  labors.  No  master 
could  be  more  kind  than  he  is.  No 
master  could  be  more  considerate 
for  those  who  are  under  him.  "Why 
stand  ye  here  all  the  day  idle?" 

III.  Why?  The  time  for  working 
is  so  short ! 

(1)  The  Master  will  accept  your 
efforts  begun  even  at  the  eleventh 
hour.  Whether  the  whole  day  is  be- 
fore us  or  only  a  part  of  it,  the  time 
for  earthly  labor  is  short  and  we 
ought  to  be  up  and  doing  while  it 
is  called  to-day. 

(2)  The  need  of  haste.  "The 
night  cometh."  Knowing  the  short- 
ness of  the  time  should  lead  us  to 
labor  all  the  more  diligently.  The 
needlewoman  working  by  her  bit  of 
candle  hastens  to  finish  the  work  be- 
fore the  light  burns  down  to  its 
socket.  So  is  the  time  for  working 
short  with  us  all.  "Whatsoever  thy 
hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy 
might,  for  there  is  no  work  nor 
knowledge,  nor  device  in  the  grave 
whither    thou    goest."      There    is    no 


finishing  up  life's  undone  work  when 
this  life  is  over. 

(3)  Even  if  the  work  should  seem 
irksome  there  is  still  comfort  in  the 
thought  that  the  time  is  not  long. 
Why  then  be  idle?  "Why  stand  ye 
here  all  the  day  idle?" 

IV.  Why?  The  reward  is  so 
liberal ! 

"What  is  right  I  will  give  thee." 
This  Master  we  work  for  will  give 
the   fullest  possible  return. 

(1)  There  is  reward  in  the  very 
act  of  doing  the  work.  The  mere 
sense  of  being  usefully  occupied 
brings  no  little  reward  to  the  worker. 

(2)  There  is  reward  in  the  result 
of  the  work.  It  is  no  small  part  of 
the  reward  of  a  Christian  worker 
that  he  is  permitted  to  see  souls 
saved.  It  is  a  delight  something  like 
that  of  a  seaman  who,  escaping  from 
a  wreck,  has  the  joy  of  seeing  an- 
other man  at  his  side  he  has  been 
enabled  to  rescue.  The  mere  fact  of 
seeing  the  harvest  of  souls  brings 
rich  reward  to  the  worker. 

(3)  There  is  reward  in  the  way  of 
active  payment  when  the  evening 
comes.  "So  when  the  even  was  come 
the  Lord  of  the  vineyard  saith  unto 
his  steward,  Call  the  laborers,  and 
give  them  their  hire."  He  always 
calls  us  at  the  close  of  the  day  and 
gives  us  even  more  than  the  full  re- 
ward. He  does  not  delay.  He  does 
not  reduce  the  payment.  He  gives 
more  than  we  have  any  right  co  ex- 
pect. "Enter  into  the  joy  of  thy 
Lord."  With  such  a  Master  and  such 
payment  and  so  much  work  to  be 
done,  surely  the  question  may  well 
be  asked  of  many  of  us,  "Why  stand 
ye  here  all  the  day  idle?"— H. 

Rescue  of  Souls 

"And  of  some  have  compassion, 
making  a  difference,  and  others  save 
with  fear,  pulling  them  out  of  the 
fire."    Jude  22,  23. 

This  is  a  wonderful  text.  Its 
exact  translation  is  a  little  difficult, 
yet  its  general  meaning  is  ver>  plain. 
First,  it  represents  a  common  danger 
— the  loss  of  the  soul.  Secondly,  it 
represents  a  common  duty — that  of 
the  rescuing  of  souls — "pulling  them 
out  of  the  fire."  Lastly,  it  represents 
the  two  strongest  appealing  motives 
the  Gospel  presents  to  control  our 
acts,  love  and  fear. 

I.  The  common  danger.  It  is  in- 
dicated by  our  need  of  being  saved. 


i6o 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


"Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus,  for 
he  shall  save  his  people  from  their 
sins."  Had  the  world  not  needed 
saving  Christ  need  never  have  come. 
Some  people  do  not  like  the  Bible 
warnings,  yet  they  are  just  as  much 
love-filled  as  are  the  gentlest  woo- 
ings.  If  men  are  in  a  burning  house 
asleep  it  is  no  unkindness  to  arouse 
them.  The  real  unkindness  will  be 
to  let  them  sleep.  If  there  is  noth- 
ing on  the  track,  why  wave  the  red 
signal?  Why  have  lighthouses  if 
there  are  no  rocks?  God's  message 
is  most  loving,  because  it  tells  both 
the  danger  and  the  way  of  escape. 
Our  Master  was  infinitely  kind  and 
loving  and  tender,  and  yet  he  did  not 
shun  to  tell  men  the  exact  truth  in 
regard  to  their  condition.  And  in 
our  Christian  work  to-day  we  need 
to  learn  that  if  we  really  long  to  save 
men  we  must  tell  them  some  dis- 
agreeable truths.  "The  wages  of  sin 
is  death."  "All  have  sinned  and  come 
short."  But,  glad  fact,  with  these 
truths  we  may  also  connect  other 
truths :  "The  wages  of  sin  is  death, 
but  the  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life 
through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord." 
This  suggests : 

II.  A  common  duty.  It  is  that  of 
saving  men.  Some  we  may  save 
with  compassionate  and  gentle  en- 
treaty ;  others  need  startling  an- 
nouncement and  warning.  But  in 
whichever  way  may  be  necessary  the 
great  duty  is  to  save  them — "pulling 
them  out  of  the  fire."  The  work  of 
Christians  is  rescue  work.  The  world 
sings  the  praises  of  Grace  Darling 
for  her  noble  rescue  of  men  from  the 
wreck.  We  may  all  be,  and  should 
all  be,  Grace  Darlings  in  the  spiritual 
life.  It  is  not  enough  that  we  are 
saved,  but  we  must,  in  turn,  set  about 
the  saving  of  others.  Not  the  Chris- 
tian clinging  with  both  hands  to  the 
cross  of  refuge,  but  clinging  with 
one  hand,  and  with  the  other  lifting 
some  one  else  from  the  dark  waves 
of  sin,  is  the  true  picture  of  the 
Christian  life.  Look  up  and  lift  up! 
We  consider  it  inhuman  to  neglect 
the  saving  of  lives.  It  is  far  more 
inhuman  to  neglect  the  saving  of 
souls.  The  men  in  the  railway 
wreck  who  were  rescued  all  turned 
rescuers.  When  the  vessel  went 
down  the  sailors  in  the  life-boat 
picked  up  all  they  could  find.  A 
common  duty  confronts  us  as  Chris- 
tians.    It  is  to  do  all  in  our  power 


to  rescue  the  lost.    Let  us  not  neglect 
or  delay. 

III.    The   appealing   motives. 

(1)  The  first  of  these  is  love.  In 
a  loving  way  we  are  to  tell  men  of 
the  love  of  Christ.  Love  is  the  mo- 
tive from  which  we  act,  and  it  is,  as 
well,  the  motive  to  which  we  appeal. 
Let  us  try  to  present  to  men  that 
love  of  Christ  "which  passeth  knowl- 
edge." It  is  broad  enough  to  reach 
the  width  of  the  world.  It  is  deep 
enough  to  reach  down  to  the  most 
degraded.  It  is  long  enough  to  last 
through  all  time,  and  high  enough  to 
lift  us  up  to  Heaven.  Surely  it  must 
be  a  hard  heart  we  cannot  reach  with 
that  appeal, — the  love  of  Christ. 
When  we  really  make  plain  to  people 
the  fact  that  God  loves  them  we  will 
find  them  crowding  into  the  kingdom. 

(2)  But  fear  is  a  motive  also. 
Our  fear  that  men  will  be  lost  moves 
us.  And  men  that  are  hardened  in 
sin  sometimes  respond  only  to  the 
motive  of  fear.  It  may  require  a 
rude  awakening  when  a  man  is  in 
deep  sleep  and  his  house  afire.  It 
may  require  a  sharp  cry  when  the 
stumbling  man  is  upon  the  very  brink 
of  the  precipice.  If  gentle  pleas  will 
not  move  men,  they  must  be  saved 
with  fear.  Tell  of  the  certainty  of 
death,  the  permanency  of  character, 
the  certainty  of  judgment.  Appeal 
to  fear.  Warnings  are  as  loving  as 
wooings  are.  Let  us  use  well-adapted 
means, — every  means  in  order  that 
souls  may  be  saved. — H. 

Cure   for  Backsliders 

"Return,  thou  backsliding  Israel, 
saith  the  Lord;  and  I  will  not  cause 
mine  anger  to  fall  upon  you."  Jer. 
3:  12. 

Riding  along  with  a  Christian 
friend,  not  long  since,  he  confided  to 
us  the  fact  that  he  was  not  happy. 
He  himself  knew  the  reason,  and 
frankly  confessed  it.  He  explained 
that  formerly  he  had  kept  up  regu- 
lar habits  of  prayer  and  Bible  study, 
that  he  had  been  a  regular  attendant 
at  the  weekly  prayer-meetings  of  the 
church  and  enjoyed  them,  that  he  was 
always  in  his  place  on  the  Sabbath, 
but  that  by  and  by,  gradually  he  be- 
gan to  neglect  these  things,  and  con- 
sequently had  grown  more  and  more 
cold  and  lifeless  spiritually,  increas- 
ingly cheerless  and  hopeless  until 
now  he  was  downright  and  thor- 
oughly unhappy. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      161 


How  many  of  us,  if  the  truth  were 
known,  would  be  found  in  the  same 
condition? 

I.  A  backslidden  condition  is  al- 
ways an  unhappy  condition.  There 
is  a  homesickness  of  soul  more  or 
less  felt  by  every  backslidden  Chris- 
tian. Oftentimes  the  unhappiness  is 
so  plain  as  to  be  noticeable  to  others. 
There  is  a  loss  of  hopefulness  and 
good  cheer,  a  certain  undefined  weary 
and  wistful  look  which  seems  to  say: 

"Where  is  the  blessedness  I  knew 
When  first  I  found  the  Lord?" 

The  truth  is  that  the  soul  is  sick 
— homesick.  Like  a  bird  caged  away 
from  its  native  forest,  it  yearns  for 
that  life  for  which  it  was  meant  by 
the  Creator.  There  is  such  a  thing 
as  being  a  little  too  religious  to  enjoy 
sin  and  yet  too  sinful  to  enjoy  re- 
ligion. A  backslidden  Christian 
usually  keeps  up  the  forms  of  re- 
ligious services;  but  he  has  no  heart 
or  pleasure  in  them.  He  has  the 
duties  of  religion  without  its  delights. 
The  backslidden  state  is  an  unhappy 
state.  It  is  a  state  like  that  of  a 
wanderer  away  from  home.  It  is 
with  each  as  with  the  prodigal  in  the 
far  country. 

II.  The  backslidden  condition  is 
one  which  presents  an  immediate 
duty.  There  is  but  one  cure  for  this 
condition  of  spiritual  ill  health. 
There  is  a  cure,  and  it  is  a  very 
plain  and  simple  one,  and  very  sure. 
Let  an  illustration  point  it  out,  for 
it  is  much  like  that  method  in  science 
known  as  the  curing  of  sick  pearls. 
What,  do  pearls  get  sick?  Yes,_  it 
seems  that  these  beautiful  gems  pine 
and  lose  their  color  at  times,  and  can 
be  restored  to  health  only  by  a  pro- 
longed visit  to  their  ocean  home.  At 
the  foot  of  a  cliff  under  the  windows 
of  the  castle  of  Mirimar,  formerly 
the  residence  of  the  Mexican  Em- 
peror Maximilian,  at  the  depth  of 
eighty  feet  below  the  surface  of  the 
Adriatic,  is  a  kind  of  cage  fashioned 
by  divers  in  the  face  of  the  rock.  In 
that  cage  are  some  of  the  most  mag- 
nificent pearls  in  existence.  They 
belong  to  the  Archduchess  Rainer. 
Having  been  left  unworn  for  a  long 
time,  the  gems  lost  their  color  and 
became  "sick."  The  experts  were 
unanimous  in  declaring  that  the  only 
means  by  which  they  could  be  re- 
stored    to    their    original     brilliancy 


was  by  submitting  them  to  a  pro- 
longed immersion  in  the  depths  of 
the  sea.  They  have  been  lying  there 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  are  grad- 
ually but  surely  regaining  their  for- 
mer unrivalled  oriency. 

Back  into  the  communion  with 
God ;  back  to  our  Bibles ;  back  to  the 
"Christian's  native  air"  of  prayer ; 
back  to  "first  principles,"  and  "first 
love,"  and  "first  works,"  back  to  re- 
newed immersion  in  these,  and  only 
so,  can  we  as  backslidden  Christians, 
like  the  pearl,  regain  our  former 
beauty  and  radiancy  and  usefulness 
in  the  world. 

"Return !  Return !"  If  we  are 
conscious  of  having  backslidden  even 
the  least,  let  us  delay  not  to  make 
instant  return  to  the  Shenherd  and 
Bishop  of  our  souls,  and  to  renewed 
engagement  in  duty. — H. 

Advantages  of  Seeking  the  Lord 

"They  that  seek  the  Lord  shall  not 
want  any  good  thing."     Ps.  34:10. 

This  Psalm  has  been  called  "The 
Good  Man's  Song  of  Triumph." 
Recognizing  that  God  knows  best 
what  is  really  "good"  for  us,  here  is 
assurance  that  those  who  "seek  the 
Lord," 

I.  Shall  not  want  any  good  thing 
connected  with  their  salvation  and 
acceptance  with  God. 

They  have  assurance  of  pardon, 
adoption  as  children,  justification, 
comfort,  and  help  from  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

II.  Shall  not  want  any  good  thing 
necessary  for  their  enjoyment,  pro- 
tection or  care. 

They  will  be  provided  with  needed 
blessings  —  defended  —  delivered  — 
guarded — kept. 

III.  Shall  not  want  any  good  thing 
to  comfort  them  in  darkness  and 
trouble.  Will  be  given  God's  pres- 
ence— Word — love — sympathy — help. 

IV.  They  shall  not  want  any  good 
thing  to  support  in  death  or  secure 
safe  arrival  in  heaven.  (See  Psalm 
23.) 

There  is  the  greatest  possible  pres- 
ent and  eternal  advantage  in  seeking 
and  serving  the  Lord. — H. 

Love  for  Our  Unseen  Saviour 

"Whom  having  not  seen  ye  love." 
1   Peter   1:8. 

The  Christian  life  springs  out  of  a 
personal  faith  in  and  love  for  the 
unseen     Christ.     The     apostle     who 


1 62 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


wrote  this  sentence  describes  a  state 
of  mind  and  heart  existing  among 
the  scattered  Christians  throughout 
Asia  Minor.  Although  he  had  him- 
self seen  the  Saviour  of  whom  he 
spoke,  he  affirms  indirectly  that  sight 
of  Jesus  was  not  necessary  either  to 
faith  or  love.  They  had  never  seen 
him,  and  yet  they  loved  him  and  re- 
joiced in  him  with  a  "joy  unspeak- 
able and  full  of  glory."  He  undoubt- 
edly had  in  mind  our  Lord's  saying 
to  Thomas,  which  he  also  heard: 
"Thomas,  because  thou  hast  seen  me 
thou  hast  believed;  blessed  are  they 
that  have  not  seen,  yet  have  be- 
lieved." These  scattered  Christians 
were  in  the  line  of  that  blessing  pro- 
nounced upon  them  beforehand  by 
the  risen  Lord. 

I.    The  nature  of  this  love. 

(1)  It  is,  as  we  have  said,  a  per- 
sonal attachment  to  our  unseen  Lord. 
It  is  not  the  accepting  of  Christianity 
as  a  system.  It  is  not  enough  that 
we  believe  the  record  concerning 
Christ.  It  is  not  enough  that  we  are 
members  of  his  Church.  The  real 
question  is,  How  do  we  stand  related 
to  Christ?  Do  we  love  him?  Is  he 
dear  to  us?  Does  he  become  Hus- 
band, Brother,  Friend?  We  ought  to 
be  able  to  say,  "We  love  him  because 
he  first  loved  us."  We  ought  to  be 
able  to  join  with  Paul,  who  ex- 
claimed, "Who  loved  me  and  gave 
himself  for  me." 

(2)  "But,"  says  some  one,  "can 
we  love  an  unseen  Christ?"  There 
are  some  who  think  such  love  im- 
possible. They  say  it  is  unreasonable 
to  expect  to  love  a  person  we  have 
never  seen.  But  this  is  a  mistake. 
Even  among  friends  such  love  exists. 
We  know  of  a  Brooklyn  lady  who 
has  for  years  been  in  correspondence 
with  a  young  Japanese  girl,  and  both, 
though  separated  by  thousands  of 
miles,  and  though  they  never  saw 
each  other,  and  never  expect  to  see 
each  other  in  this  world,  have, 
through  their  letters,  become  ac- 
quainted, and  formed  a  very  warm 
attachment  for  each  other.  This  has 
come  about  entirely  by  correspon- 
dence. No  one  would  be  unimpressed 
by  the  natural,  spontaneous  and  un- 
studied expression  of  this  attach- 
ment on  the  part  of  the  Japanese  girl, 
showing  unmistakably  that  her  letters 
come  from  her  heart  and  that  she  has 
a  sincere  and  deep  affection  for  her 
unseen  friend  in  this  country.     Here 


we  have  a  beautiful  example  of  af- 
fection toward  an  unseen  human 
friend.  If  we  can  believe  in  the 
existence  of  an  earthly  friend  and 
that  that  friend  is  worthy  of  tender 
and  grateful  affection,  as  we  certainly 
can,  where  is  the  difficulty  in  be- 
lieving in  the  existence  of  our 
heavenly  Friei. ',  who  is  Christ  the 
Lord,  who  once  bore  our  sins  in  his 
own  body  on  the  tree  and  loves  us 
with  an  everlasting  love? 

We  know  of  an  officer  in  one  of 
our  churches  who  corresponded  with 
a  young  colored  girl  in  a  Southern 
school,  and  became  as  interested  in 
her  and  as  warmly  attached  as  he 
doubtless  would  have  been  had  he 
met  her  face  to  face.  The  love  of 
the  blind  is  a  strong  love,  though  all 
their  friends  are  unseen.  It  is  an 
added  delight  to  think  of  our  re- 
ligion as  a  personal  love  for  the  un- 
seen  Saviour. 

II.  What  are  some  of  the  signs 
of  this  love? 

(1)  One  of  the  earliest  is  a  deed 
of  solemn  dedication.  First,  some- 
where in  private,  in  the  presence  of 
God  alone,  these  vows  are  made.  It 
is  something  personal  and  private 
which  has  to  do  only  with  God  and 
one's  self.  But  very  soon  there  fol- 
lows a  public  dedication.  The  order 
is  first  to  accept  God  and  then  to 
avow  God.  Joseph  of  Arimathea  was 
not  long  "a  disciple  secretly."  Like 
with  him,  so  with  us ;  soon  a  time 
of  testing  will  come,  and  when  the 
time  comes  we  must  openly  confess 
Christ  as  our  Lord. 

(2)  Another  sign  is  carefulness 
not  to  offend  or  grieve  him.  This 
same  is  a  sign  of  an  earthly  love. 
We  have  reason  to  question  our  love 
for  a  friend  if  we  are  not  watchful 
lest  we  wound  him.  We  may  well 
question  our  love  for  Christ  if  we 
carelessly  grieve  him. 

(3)  A  further  sign  is  a  glad  and 
willing  obedience  to  his  command- 
ment. If  we  love  we  will  gladly 
obey.  His  commandments  will  not 
seem  hard  to  keep. 

(4)  Another  sign  is  a  readiness  to 
defend  him  against  his  foes.  Loyalty 
leads  us  to  stand  up  for  a  human 
friend  when  he  is  unkindly  assailed. 
Loyalty  to  Christ  will  make  us  strong 
in  defence  of  him  and  his  honor. 

(5)  Still  another  sign  is  a  con- 
stant desire  to  promote  his  cause. 
We    may    test    ourselves    by    these, 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      163 


though   there   are   many  other  ways 
of  showing  love. — H. 

Continuing 

I.  In  the  love  of  Christ.  John 
15:9. 

II.  In  the  Word  of  Christ.  John 
8:31. 

III.  In  the  grace  of  God.  Acts 
13 :  43. 

IV.  In  the  faith.  Acts  14:22;  2 
Tim.  4:2,  6-8. 

V.  In  the  things  learned.  2  Tim. 
3 :  14-15. 

The  Joy  of  Religion 

"Rejoice  evermore."  1  Thess. 
5:16. 

Religion  is  not  conducive  to  melan- 
choly. 

(1)  It  leaves  to  the  Christian  all 
the  sources  of  pleasure  which  can 
be  enjoyed  without  sin. 

(2)  It  frees  the  Christian  from  the 
evils  that  hinder  others  from  enjoy- 
ing the  common  sources  of  pleasure. 

(3)  It  enjoins  on  the  Christian  no 
duty  which  is  not  a  source  of 
pleasure. 

(4)  It  confers  on  the  Christian 
new  pleasures,  of  the  purest  and 
loftiest  kind. 

Christ  the  Door 

"I  am  the  door;  by  me  if  any 
man  enter  in,  he  shall  be  saved,  and 
shall  go  in  and  out,  and  find  pasture." 
John  10:9. 

I.  The  figurative  description  of 
Christ. 

(1)  He  is  the  only  medium  of  ad- 
mission to  the  blessings  of  the  Gos- 
pel. 

(2)  He  is  the  only  medium  of  ad- 
mission to  the  communion  of  the 
Church. 

(3)  He  is  the  only  medium  of  ad- 
mission to  the  happiness  of  heaven. 

II.  The    privileges    of    Christians. 

(1)  Safety. 

(2)  Liberty. 

(3)  Provision. 

The  Two  Roads 

I.  Two  gates — the  wide  and  the 
strait.     Matt.  7 :  13. 

II.  Two  roads — the  broad  and  the 
narrow.     Matt.  7 :  14. 

III.  Two  classes — the  many  and 
the  few.     Matt.  7:14. 

IV.  Two  destinies  —  destruction 
and  life.     Matt.  7 :  14. 


V.  Contrasted — profit,  loss,  gain. 
Matt.  16:25-27. 

No  middle  path,  no  third  class,  no 
intermediate  destiny. 

Soul  Healing 

"Wilt  thou  be  made  whole?"  John 
5:6. 

Moral  disease  is  incurable  by  hu- 
man power.  It  bids  defiance  to 
medical  skill,  and  resists  all  human 
effort.  Men  in  all  ages  and  climes 
have  experimented  in  this  particular, 
and  invariably  have  all  their  efforts 
resulted  in  failures.  Many  have  been 
the  efforts,  made  by  the  suggestions 
of  the  wicked  one,  to  cure  the  malady 
of  sin,  but  all  have  been  ineffectual. 

God  has  graciously  provided  a 
remedy  for  moral  disease.  He  sent 
his  only  begotten  Son  into  the  world, 
who,  through  the  sacrifice  of  himself 
upon  the  cross,  opened  a  fountain 
for  sin  and  uncleanness.  In  this 
fountain,  we  have  our  spiritual 
Bethesda  for  the  healing  of  the  soul. 

I.  Wilt  thou  be  made  whole?  You 
are  so  deeply  fallen,  so  thoroughly 
diseased,  that  you  cannot  heal  your- 
self. The  redeemed  in  heaven  ascribe 
all  the  praise  of  their  salvation  to 
Jesus  Christ. 

II.  Wilt  thou  be  made  whole? 
You  must  be  willing  to  be  made 
whole.  God  will  not  save  you  with- 
out a  willingness  on  your  part.  You 
are  a  moral  agent. 

III.  Wilt  thou  be  made  whole? 
This  is  an  eminently  personal  ques- 
tion. We  address  ourselves  to  you. 
Wilt  thou  be  made  whole?  Every 
consideration  urges  you  to  act. 

Wilt  thou  be  made  whole  now? 
Now  is  the  accepted  time,  and  to- 
day is  the  day  of  salvation.  To- 
morrow may  be  too  late.  The  foun- 
tain of  healing  still  lies  open.  Act 
nozv.  "My  Spirit  shall  not  always 
strive    with    man." — Rev.    Z.    Horn- 

BERGER. 

Christ's    Present    Work    for    His 
People 

I.  He  saves  them.    Rom.  5  :  10. 

II.  He  appears  for  them.  Heb. 
9:24. 

III.  He  makes  intercession.  Rom. 
8:34. 

IV.  He  keeps  them.    Jude  24. 

V.  He  cleanses  them.     Eph.  5  :  26. 

VI.  He  restores  them.     Psa.  23  :  2. 

VII.  He  leads  them.    John  10:4. 


164 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


Continuing 

I.  Continue  in  the  grace  of  Cod. 
Acts   13 :  43. 

II.  Continue  in  the  faith.  Acts 
14 :  22 ;  2  Tim.  3  :  14. 

III.  Continue  in  the  things  learned. 
1  Tim.  3  :  14. 

IV.  Continue  in  the  love  of  Christ. 
John  15:9. 

V.  Continue  in  prayer.  Col.  4:2; 
Luke  18 : 1. 

The  Prodigal  Son 
Luke   15:11-24. 

(1)  His  willfulness.  "Father,  give 
me  the  portion." 

(2)  His  wandering.  "And  took 
his  journey." 

(3)  His  waste.  "And  there  wasted 
his  substance." 

(4)  His  want.  "And  he  began  to 
be  in  want." 

(5)  His  wickedness.  "Joined  him- 
self to  a  citizen." 

(6)  His  wisdom.  "When  he  came 
to  himself." 

(7)  His  welcome.  "But  when  he 
was  a  great  way  off." — Rev.  C.  Ed- 
wards. 

Three  Conditions  of  Soul 

Psalm  63. 

I.  My  soul  thirsteth — desire.    V.  8. 

II.  My  soul  shall  be  satisfied — de- 
cision.   V.  15. 

III.  My  soul  followeth  hard — de- 
votion.    V.  24. 

The  Wisest  Work  in  the  World: 
Preparation  for  Revival 

"He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise." 
Prov.  11:30. 

Some  one  inquired  of  Dr.  Lyman 
Beecher  in  his  old  age,  "Doctor,  you 
know  many  things,  but  what  do  you 
think  the  main  thing."  The  sturdy 
old  hero  of  forty  revivals  answered, 
"It  is  not  theology;  it  is  not  contro- 
versy; it  is  saving  souls." 

Truer  words  were  never  uttered. 
They  are  good  words  for  us  to  listen 
to  in  these  days ;  and  still  more  es- 
pecially at  this  opportune  season  of 
the  year.  For  where  is  the  true- 
hearted  Christian  who  will  deny  that 
Dr.  Beecher  was  right,  and  that  sav- 
ing souls  is  indeed  the  wisest  work 
in  the  world. 

I.  On  God's  own  authority  we  can 
say  that  "he  that  winneth  souls  is 
wise."  It  is  a  wise  thing  to  do  and 
wise  men  do  it.  Whatever  our  oc- 
cupation in  life,  whether  merchant  or 


mechanic,  physician  or  farmer,  we 
have  but  one  business  in  the  world, 
that  which  was  Paul's,  that  which 
was  Christ's,  the  business  of  saving 
men.  True,  Paul  had  his  trade  and 
worked  at  it;  but  it  did  not  fill  his 
heart  and  head  and  hands.  When  he 
said,  "This  one  thing  I  do,"  the  busi- 
ness he  referred  to  was  not  tent- 
making  but  soul-saving.  While  the 
first  was  important,  the  second  was 
the  "main  thing." 

So  we  are  taught  in  God's  Word 
that  it  is  the  mission  of  every  one 
who  knows  and  loves  the  Saviour  to 
win  others  to  his  service.  "Go 
work;"  "Go  preach;"  "Go  teach;" 
"Let  him  that  heareth  say,  Come." 
These  are  the  watchwords.  Have 
you  heard?  Then  say  "Come." 
There  is  no  disciple  of  Christ,  no 
matter  how  feeble,  no  matter  how 
lowly,  no  matter  how  young,  who 
ought  not  distinctly  to  propose  it  to 
himself  as  an  aim  never  to  be  lost 
sight  of,  that  he  will  lead  other  souls 
to  the  foot  of  the  Cross. 

II.  The  work  we  are  to  do  is 
rescue  work. 

It  is  not  enough  for  any  Chris- 
tian simply  that  he  is  saved ;  he 
must,  in  turn,  be  striving  also  to 
save  others.  Mr.  Moody  tells  us  of 
one  day  seeing  a  steel  engraving 
which  pleased  him  very  much.  He 
says,  "I  thought  it  was  the  finest 
thing  I  had  ever  seen,  at  the  time, 
and  I  bought  it."  It  was  the  picture 
of  a  woman  coming  out  of  the  water 
and  clinging  with  both  hands  to  the 
Cross  of  Refuge.  "But  afterwards," 
he  goes  on  to  say,  "I  saw  another 
picture  that  spoiled  this  one  for  me 
entirely — it  was  so  much  more  lovely. 
It  was  a  picture  of  a  person  coming 
out  of  the  dark  waters  with  one  arm 
clinging  to  the  Cross,  but  with  the 
other  she  was  lifting  some  one  else 
out  of  the  waves." 

Yes,  "saved"  is  good,  but  we  will 
all  agree  that  "saved  and  saving"  is 
a  far  better  and  nobler  picture  of 
true  Christian  life.  Saved  and  sav- 
ing! Keeping  a  firm  hold  upon  the 
Cross  ourselves,  but  striving  ever  to 
lift  other  souls  from  the  dark  bil- 
lows of  sin  that  beat  on  the  danger- 
ous coast  of  eternity.  Poor,  weak 
and  feeble  men  and  women  that  we 
are,  God  will  use  us  if  we  are  will- 
ing. He  has  sent  no  angels  to  make 
known  and  offer  his  Gospel.  So  far 
as  we  can   see,  it  is   God's   plan  to 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      165 


save  the  world  through  man's  efforts 
for  men.  To  be  sure  we  cannot  con- 
vert men,  but  telling  them  the  Gos- 
pel and  persuading  them  to  accept  it 
is  our  work ;  conversion  is  God's 
work;  but  if  we  do  our  part  God 
will  do  his. 

III.    The  opportunities  are  many. 

What  our  church  needs  is  that  life- 
saving,  vitalizing  hre  of  God  s  Holy 
Spirit  which  will  arouse  every  indi- 
vidual Christian  to  earnest,  conse- 
crated personal  work.  "Every 
Church  a  Band  of  Missionaries,"  is 
the  title  of  a  tract.  We  have  not  read 
the  tract,  but  the  title  is  very  sug- 
gestive. A  good  deal  has  been  said 
of  late  about  the  importance  of  hav- 
ing able  ministers  in  our  pulpits,  and 
no  doubt  it  is  important.  But  would 
it  not  be  well  to  call  the  attention  of 
the  members  of  our  churches  to  the 
fact  that  it  is  even  more  important 
that  they  should  be  able  workers, 
than  that  they  should  have  able  pas- 
tors ;  especially  such  as  fill  the  popu- 
lar idea  of  men  unusually  gifted  as 
public  speakers  and  sermonizers? 
Only  as  our  churches  become  bands 
of  "able  workers,"  in  fact,  only  as 
the  rank  and  file  of  our  Christian 
membership  become  enlisted  in  active 
service  for  Christ,  will  his  Kingdom 
advance  as  it  ought.  "Give  me,"  ex- 
claimed Wesley,  "one  hundred  men 
who  fear  nothing  but  God,  hate  noth- 
ing but  sin,  and  are  determined  to 
know  nothing  among  men  but  Christ 
and  him  crucified,  and  I  will  set  the 
world  on  fire."  This  at  least  we 
know,  that,  in  the  existing  churches 
of  to-day,  if  every  hundred  mem- 
bers were  a  hundred  such  workers, 
burning  with  the  fire  of  a  zeal  kin- 
dled by  Christ's  love,  we  might  ex- 
claim, "The  Kingdom  of  God  is  at 
hand."  Let  us  be  up  and  doing.  It 
is  God's  most  urgent  command,  "Go 
work  to-day  in  my  vineyard."  God 
will  use  us.  Men  are  the  messengers. 
Reward  is  sure,  present  and  eternal. 
"He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise." 
Wise !  It  is  the  greatest,  grandest, 
wisest  work  in  the  world;  for  "they 
that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  bright- 
ness of  the  firmament,  and  they  that 
turn  many  to  righteousness  as  the 
stars  for  ever  and  ever." — H. 

God  Is  Love 

"God  is  love."     1  John  4;  16. 

Sweet  and  precious  fact  is  it  that 
God  is  love.    "God  is  love,  and  God 


loves   me" — this   is  enough  to  make 
any  soul  shout  aloud  for  joy. 

I.  Notice,  that  this  love  of  his  is 
a  communicating  love.  His  love  is 
not  a  dumb  or  silent  thing.  Love 
seeks  expression ;  sc  is  it  with  God's 
love.  It  is  a  speaking  love.  He  ex- 
presses himself  to  us  in  his  works. 
"The  heavens  declare  his  glory  and 
the  firmament  showeth  his  handiwork. 
Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech,  and 
night  unto  night  showeth  knowledge. 
There  is  no  speech  nor  language 
where  their  voice  is  not  heard."  He 
expresses  himself  to  us  by  the  inner 
workings  of  conscience  and  of  his 
Spirit.  But  he  expresses  himself  es- 
pecially through  his  Word,  which  is 
a  letter — a  series  of  letters,  of  love 
to  us.  None  of  us  can  overestimate 
the  importance  of  the  fact  that  our 
God  is  not  a  silent  God. 

II.  His  is  a  guiding  and  wisely 
controlling  love.  We  are  astray,  but 
he  does  not  leave  us  to  wander.  We 
come  to  the  "parting  of  the  ways" 
and  know  not  which  road  to  take, 
and  he  directs  us.  We  lack  wisdom 
and  he  teaches  us.  We  cannot  make 
plans  for  ourselves  and  he  makes 
plans  for  us.  We  cannot  understand 
the  changing  scenes  and  intricacies 
of  life,  but  he  does  understand  and 
"makes  all  things  work  together  for 
our  good."  He  is  our  all-skilled 
Pilot.  Let  us  not  meddle  with  the 
chart  or  compass,  but  do  our  duty 
in  our  places,  and  let  him  guide.  He 
knows  every  rock  that  endangers, 
every  reef  that  rises  in  the  way.  He 
knows  the  channel  of  safety,  too,  and 
by  and  by,  if  we  let  him  have  his 
way  with  us,  will  bring  us  into  our 
desired  haven. 

III.  His  is  a  help  rendering  love. 
We  are  weak.  Alone  we  are  sure  to 
fail.  But  he  does  not  let  us  fail. 
He  puts  grace  into  our  hearts  and 
strength  into  our  souls.  Temptation 
comes  and  he  fortifies  us  against  it. 
Trials  come  and  he  makes  his  grace 
sufficient  for  us.  Testing  times  come 
and  he  says,  "Fear  not ;  I  will  help 
thee ;  yea,  I  will  strengthen  thee ;  yea, 
I  will  uphold  thee  with  the  right 
hand  of  my  righteousness." 

IV.  His  love  is  an  unchanging  love. 
It  is  related  that  a  certain  man  placed 
on  one  of  his  buildings  a  weather- 
vane,  upon  which  were  inscribed  the 
words,  "God  is  love."  Some  one 
criticized  him,  saying,  "Youi  have 
placed  an  immutable  truth  on  a  very 


i66 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


changeable  thing."  "No,  it  is  all 
right, "  he  replied,  "it  means  that  God 
is  love  whichever  way  the  wind 
blows."  Yes,  it  is  a  glad  fact  that 
his  is  a  love  that  can  be  depended 
on  in  every  condition  of  circumstance 
of  life. 

What  blessed  results  would  grow 
out  of  the  fact  if  everywhere,  the 
world  over,  we  could  get  men  to 
realize  that  God  is  love.  It  would 
soften  the  hearts  of  all  the  sinning. 
It  would  cause  to  yield  all  who  are 
resisting.  It  would  cheer  the  lonely, 
comfort  the  sorrowing  and  fill  all 
with  joy  and  peace  in  believing.  Let 
us  try  to  get  into  our  own  minds 
and  the  minds  of  others  a  definite 
conception  of  this  supreme  fact,  that 
God  is  love. — H. 

Does  Godliness   Pay? 

"Godliness  is  profitable,"  etc.  1 
Tim.  4 :  8. 

Religion  is  an  appeal  to  common 
sense.  It  comes  to  us  and  asks  our 
acceptance  of  it  on  the  grounds  of 
enlightened  self-interest.  It  asks  it 
on  other  grounds,  and  higher 
grounds,  but  it  asks  it  on  this  ground, 
too.  Will  it  pay?  Christ  endorsed 
that  way  of  looking  at  it  when  he 
said :  "What  shall  it  profit  a  man," 
etc.  In  one  sense,  religion  is  busi- 
ness. It  asks  us  to  get  our  account 
books,  to  study  the  prices  current,  to 
question  on  the  probabilities  of  profit 
and  loss  and  decide  whether  it  will 
pay  us  to  purchase  "the  pearl  of  great 
price."  It  asks  us  to  use  the  same 
shrewdness  we  would  in  temporal  in- 
vestments. Does  it  pay  to  invest  in 
religion? 

I.  First  let  us  consider  this  ques- 
tion from  the  standpoint  of  the  life 
that  now  is.  Is  the  text  true?  Is 
godliness  profitable  for  the  present? 

(1)  How  is  it  in  this  life  about 
sin?  Does  sin  pay?  Five  years  ago 
a  man  paid  ten  cents  for  a  cup  of 
strong  drink.  It  seemed  pleasant. 
He  only  spent  a  few  cents  for  a 
whole  night's  enjoyment.  That 
seemed  cheap  and  profitable.  Was  it? 
Look  at  him  now,  a  poor,  wretched, 
ragged  outcast.  His  sins  have  cost 
him  health,  happiness,  character,  love, 
a  father's  tears,  a  mother's  broken 
heart,  and  all  hope  for  the  future. 
Did  it  pay?  "The  way  of  the  trans- 
gressor is  hard."  It  is  always  so, 
and  in  regard  to  all  kinds  of  sin. 
If  there  is  any  one  thing  in  all  God's 


universe  that  does  not  pay  and  never 
can  be  made  to  pay  it  is  sin. 

(2)  But  how  is  it  for  this  life 
about  godliness.  Does  it  pay?  In- 
deed does  anything  pay  so  well? 

(a)  It  pays  from  a  business  stand- 
point. Godliness  makes  a  man  hon- 
est, and  it  is  even  a  maxim  of 
worldly  success  that  "honesty  is  the 
best  policy."  Godliness  makes  a  man 
industrious  and  earnest.  And  these 
are  two  of  the  highest  qualities  for 
temporal  advancement  Godliness 
makes  a  man  firm  and  decided.  It 
gives  him  qualities  that  enable  him 
to  say  yes  when  he  ought  to  say  yes, 
and  stick  to  it,  and  say  no  when  he 
ought  to  say  no,  and  mean  it.  Sim- 
ply from  the  standpoint  of  worldly 
success  godliness  pays.  As  a  rule 
Christian  homes  are  more  comforta- 
ble than  those  that  are  not  Christian ; 
children  are  better  fed,  better  trained, 
and  love  surrounded.  "I  have  been 
young  and  now  am  old,  yet  have  not 
I  seen  the  righteous  forsaken  nor  his 
seed  begging  bread." 

(b)  It  pays  in  peace  of  mind. 
"My  peace  give  I  unto  you." 

(c)  It  pays  in  positive  joy.  "That 
your  joy  may  be  full."  Ask  any 
Christian  which  part  of  his  life  con- 
tained more  joy,  before  he  became  a 
Christian   or  after. 

(d)  It  pays  in  hope.  What  is  life 
without  hope?  It  is  like  sailing  with- 
out any  harbor  in  view.  It  is  drift- 
ing, and  drifting  is  the  most  unhappy 
kind  of  life. 

II.  Secondly,  let  us  consider  the 
question  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
life  that  is  to  come. 

(1)  How  is  it  in  the  life  that  is 
to  come  with  those  who  follow  sin? 
Suppose  there  were  no  punishment 
for  sin  except  its  own  punishment 
in  the  law  of  the  solidification  of 
character ;  were  that  not  punishment, 
indeed  ?  But  we  are  taught  to  believe 
that  there  is  other  punishment  for 
sin.  There  is  the  gnawing  of  re- 
morse. There  is  the  conscious  degra- 
dation of  finding  ourselves  fitted  only 
for  association  with  evil.  There  is 
the  sense  of  God's  displeasure. 
These  are  enough,  let  alone  the  pos- 
sibility of  direct  inflictions  of  justice 
on  account  of  the  violations  of  divine 
law. 

(2)  How  is  it  about  the  life  that 
is  to  come  for  the  godly?  Consider 
only  the  meaning  of  these  three 
words,  God,  Heaven,  Eternity. — H. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      167 


Security  of  Believers:  Post  Revival 

"And  we  know  that  all  things  work 
together  for  good  lor  them  that  love 
God."     Rom.   8:28. 

It  is  one  of  the  luxuries  of  Chris- 
tian faith  to  believe  that  all  things 
are  coming  out  right.  There  is  far 
too  widespread  a  feeling  among  men 
that  things  will  come  out  wrong. 
But  these  are  pessimists,  and  Chris- 
tians should  be  optimists.  To  know 
that  the  great  tides  of  life  are  work- 
ing toward  God  gives  us  a  sense  of 
security  and  much  spiritual  enjoy- 
ment. 

The  words  of  this  text  give  us : 

I.  Confidence  that  the  machinery 
of  God's  control  is  managed  safely. 
"All  things  work  together."  Provi- 
dential events  are  like  the  cogs  of 
a  machine  which  so  fit  that  the  de- 
sired result  is  reached.  They  tell 
us  that  in  Geneva,  Switzerland,  is  a 
watch  factory,  the  largest  in  the 
world,  employing  three  thousand  per- 
sons. One  will  work  on  one  part, 
and  another  on  another  part,  but 
when  from  every  department  of  the 
factory  the  pieces  are  put  together 
the  result  is  a  perfect  time-piece.  So 
we  may  know  that  God  is  controlling 
and  guiding  our  lives,  and  all  things, 
to  bring  out  a  perfect  result. 

II.  Assurance  of  present  blessing. 
The  hope  that  we  have  is  not  simply 
that  good  will  come  to  us  by  and 
by,  but  this  providential  control  of 
God  is  bringing  our  highest  present 
good.  It  is  certainly  a  comfort  to 
go  about  with  the  consciousness  that 
all  things  are,  day  by  day,  working 
for  our  good. 

III.  Self-possession.  We  have 
real  bravery  in  going  forward  in  duty 
when  we  know  that  God  is  over- 
reaching our  lives. 

IV.  Enjoyment  of  our  work.  It 
is  not  work,  but  worry,  that  kills. 
Some  one  has  asked  the  question: 
"Why  is  it  that  a  little  child  can  run 
about  from  morning  until  night  with- 
out ever  seeming  to  get  tired?  If 
sleep  gets  him  at  all,  it  has  to  catch 
him  on  the  fly?"  But  the  answer 
is  that  the  child  does  its  work  and 
lets  the  father  take  the  worry.  If 
we  would  live  life  in  that  way,  we 
would  find  much  more  enjoyment  and 
our  work  would  not  weary.  Let  us 
do  the  work  and  let  our  Heavenly 
Father  take  the  worry. 

V.  Courage  to  bear  hardships.  If 
we  only  understood  the  meaning  of 


God's  dealings  with  us  we  would 
never  complain.  The  block  of  mar- 
ble may  not  understand  why  it  must 
be  chipped  and  chiseled  and  polished, 
but  the  finished  figure  shows  the  wis- 
dom of  the  artist.  When  we  are 
conscious  that  God  is  controlling  our 
lives  and  making  all  things  work  to- 
gether for  good,  we  bear  the  disci- 
pline rejoicing  in  the  fact  that  our 
light  afflictions  which  are  but  for  a 
moment  will  work  out  for  us  a  far 
more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight 
of   glory. 

VI.  Makes  us  cheerful  Christians. 
As  we  view  history  we  have  the  con- 
sciousness that  God  is  controlling  and 
is  bringing  about  his  good  will.  As 
we  look  upon  our  own  lives  we  have 
the  same  cheerful  hope  that  he  is 
making  all  things  work  together  for 
our  good,  and  this  fills  us  with  de- 
light and  good  cheer. 

Let  us,  like  Paul,  maintain  this  be- 
lief as  a  positive  conviction.  "We 
know."  We  know  that  all  things 
work  together  for  good.  As  a  parent 
you  send  your  child  to  school.  The 
child  sees  no  good  that  can  come 
of  it.  You  do.  Some  of  life's  tasks 
are  done  in  tears,  but  God  makes 
them  work  out  our  eternal  good. 

Let  us  be  convinced  as  Paul  that 
all  things  "work  together"  for  good. 
This  means  our  poverty  as  well  as 
our  prosperity.  This  means  our 
losses  as  well  as  our  gains.  To  be 
sure,  we  should  never  forget  that 
this  is  a  conditional  promise.  It  does 
not  say  that  all  things  work  together 
for  good  for  everybody,  but  all  things 
work  together  for  good  "for  them 
that  love  God." — H. 

Christ's  Redeeming  Love 

"In  whom  we  have  redemption 
through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness 
of  sins  according  to  the  riches  of  his 
grace."     Eph.    1 :  7. 

Redemption  is  the  most  glorious 
work  of  God.  It  is  greater  than  his 
work  of  creation.  Paul  delighted  to 
dwell  upon  this  theme.  The  reason 
was  that  he  himself  had  experienced 
Christ's  redeeming  love.  He  had 
been  redeemed  from  the  error  of 
his  ways,  from  the  curse  and  bondage 
of  the  law,  washed  in  Christ's  blood, 
endowed  with  his  Spirit  and  made 
an  Apostle  of  the  cross — well  might 
he  glory  in  his  Redeemer. 

To  redeem  means  to  buy  back,  to 
pay  the  ransom  price.     This  is  what 


1 68 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


Christ  did  for  us  when  we  were  cap- 
tive  under  sin. 

I.  First,  consider  the  necessity  for 
our  redemption.  The  sinner  is  a 
captive. 

(1)  To  sin.  "Jesus  answered  them: 
Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  who- 
soever committeth  sin  is  the  servant 
of  sin."  (John  8:34).  We  feel  that 
bondage.  We  know  that  sin  rules 
and    reigns   within    us. 

(2)  To  Satan.  Paul  speaks  of 
sinners  as,  through  Christ,  "recov- 
ering themselves  out  of  the  snare 
of  the  devil,  who  are  taken  captive 
by  him  at  his  will."     (2  Tim.  11 :  26.) 

(3)  Under  the  law.  We  have 
broken  the  law  of  God,  and  for  this 
reason  "the  Scripture  hath  concluded 
all  under  sin."  (Gal.  3:2.)  The 
literal  meaning  is,  "shut  up  in  prison." 
The  idea  being  that  justice  has  put 
us  under  arrest  for  violating  the  law. 

An  imprisoned  captive  is  in  a  state 
of  darkness.  "Having  their  under- 
standing darkened."     (Eph.  4:18.) 

A  captive  is  bound  in  fetters.  So 
are  sinners  "in  the  gall  of  bitterness 
and  the  bonds  of  iniquity." 

The  captive  is  an  exile,  away  from 
his  father's  house  and  fellowship. 

The  captive  is  in  a  state  of  wretch- 
edness and  misery,  "poor  and  miser- 
able and  blind  and  naked."  Oh,  how 
great  is  our  need  of  redemption ! 

II.  But,  thanks  be  to  God.  he  does 
not  leave  us  in  this  condition  but 
provides  for  our  redemption.  Let  us 
think,  then,  secondly,  of  the  agent 
of  our  redemption.  "In  whom  we 
have  redemption."  The  person  is 
Christ,  our  Saviour.  "For  even  the 
Son  of  Man  came  not  to  be  minis- 
tered unto,  but  to  minister,  and  to 
give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many." 
"He  offered  himself  through  the  eter- 
nal Spirit  without  spot  unto  God." 
"Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus,  for 
he  shall  save  his  people  from  their 
sins."  "He  suffered  for  sins,  the  just 
for  the  unjust,  that  he  might  bring 
us  to  God." 

III.  The  means  of  redemption.  It 
is  stated :  "In  whom  we  have  redemp- 
tion through  his  blood."  "We  are 
not  redeemed  with  corruptible  things, 
as  silver  and  gold  .  .  .  but  with  the 
precious  blood  of  Christ."  Christ 
voluntarily  took  our  place.  He  stood 
charged  with  our  sins  and  paid  the 
penalty  with  his  blood.  Amazing 
love ! 

IV.  The  blessed  fruits  of  redeem- 


ing love :  "Even  the  forgiveness  of 
sins."  "In  whom  we  have  redemp- 
tion through  his  blood,  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins,  according  to  the  riches 
of  his  grace."  Grace  is  unmerited 
favor,  and  his  forgiveness  is  accord- 
ing to  his  abounding  favor,  without 
limit  by  our  demerit.  He  casts  our 
sins  behind  his  back.  He  blots  them 
out  of  the  book  of  his  remembrance. 
He  sinks  them  into  the  depths  of  the 
sea — the  deepest  places,  where  they 
never  can  be  reached  or  brought  up 
again  to  face  us.  He  forgives  "ac- 
cording to  the  riches  of  his  grace." 

A  king  once  offered  a  subject  a 
very  munificent  present  for  some 
service.  The  subject  said:  "This  is 
too  much  for  me  to  receive."  The 
king  replied :  "But  it  is  not  too  much 
for  me  to  give."  He  was  rich  and 
gave  according  to  his  ability  to  give. 
God  is  very  rich  and  very  loving  and 
when  he  gives  it  is  "according  to  the 
riches  of  his  grace." 

Let  us  receive  and  estimate  at  their 
true  worth  God's  gifts  of  redemp- 
tion, love  and  forgiveness  of  our  sins, 
knowing  that  out  of  this  manifesta- 
tion of  his  grace  there  comes  to  us 
also  justification,  peace,  adoption, 
hope   and   Heaven. — H. 

The  Peace  Christ  Gives 

"My  peace  give  I  unto  you."  John 
16 :  33. 

This  is  one  of  Christ's  sweetest 
assurances  to  his  followers — that  he 
will  give  us  peace.  And  it  is  a 
special  kind  or  quality  of  peace  he 
promises.  The  emphasis  is  upon  the 
word  "My."  "My  peace  I  give  unto 
you."  The  peace  is  the  same  deep, 
abiding,  and  blessed  peace  he  en- 
joyed. 

It  was  not  the  peace  of  affluence. 
Some  of  us  think  we  would  have 
peace  if  we  had  in  our  possession 
all  the  things  we  long  for.  We 
feel  quite  sure  that  if  we  had  wealth 
and  the  things  wealth  can  purchase 
we  would  have  peace.  But  none  of 
these  things  did  Christ  have.  His 
peace  was  not  founded  on  affluence. 
And  affluence  would  never  give  us 
peace. 

Neither  was  his  the  peace  of  tran- 
quillity. Some  of  us  are  so  hurried 
in  our  lives,  so  pressed  with  duties 
that  we  long  for  the  peace  of  tran- 
quillity. But  Christ  had  not  this. 
He  was  hurried  and  pressed  upon, 
opposed  by  enemies,  appealed  to  by 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      169 


friends.  His  was  the  very  opposite 
to  a  tranquil  life.  The  peace  he  gives, 
then,  is  not  the  peace  of  tranquillity. 

Neither  was  his  peace  the  peace 
of  congenial  companionship.  On  the 
contrary,  he  was  solitary.  Few  un- 
derstood him  or  were  able  to  enter 
into  sympathy  with  him  and  his 
plans.  His  was  not  the  peace  of 
congenial  companionship  and  friend- 
ship. Therefore,  that  is  not  the  kind 
of   peace  he  promises  his   followers. 

The  peace  Christ  had  and  the  peace 
he  gives  is  something  different  from 
what  the  world  calls  peace.  It  is 
something  deeper  and  worthier,  too. 

What,  then,  is  the  peace  he  gives? 

I.  It  is  peace  of  conscience.  Sin 
is  war.  Sin  is  strife.  Sin  puts  dis- 
cord into  our  lives.  Conscious  of 
sin,  we  cannot  be  at  peace.  Christ's 
peace  was  the  peace  of  sinlessness. 
In  the  midst  of  all  his  press  of  work 
and  the  disturbances  that  surrounded 
him  he  had  the  peace  of  conscious 
integrity,  of  oneness  with  his  Father 
— the  peace  of  sinlessness.  This  is 
one  feature  of  the  peace  he  gives  us 
- — the  peace  of  pardon,  the  peace  of 
justification.  Through  our  acceptance 
of  his  righteousness  he  gives  us  the 
peace  of  sinlessness.  He  makes  us 
free  from  sin  and  to  enjoy  the  deep 
and  abiding  peace  of  one  just  before 
God. 

II.  He  gives  us  peace  of  character. 
He  had  the  peace  of  a  sound,  stable, 
right  centered  character  where  there 
was  no  internal  discord  or  struggle. 
His  character  had  unity,  harmony  of 
purpose,  was  not  disturbed  by  fickle- 
ness or  changefulness.  It  is  a  great 
thing  to  possess  a  unified  character. 
We  do  not  easily  attain  it.  We  ap- 
prove the  right,  but  do  the  wrong. 
We  are  all  Dr.  Jekyls  and  Mr. 
Hydes.  We  are  dual  characters,  torn 
by  conflict  within.  But  Christ's  peace 
was  that  of  confirmed  character, 
stable,  sound,  unified.  This  is  the 
peace  he  will  give  us  and  does  give 
us  as  we  accept  it.  This  is  one  of 
his   greatest   gifts. 

III.  He  gives  the  peace  of  abid- 
ing trustfulness.  This  peace  also 
Christ  had.  How  often  we  hear  him 
exclaiming,  "My  Father,"  and  show- 
ing the  utmost  confidence  in  him. 
He  never  seemed  to  be  the  least 
disturbed,  but  believed  that  God's 
will  was  always  good.  He  gives  us 
this  peace  so  we  can  truly  exclaim : 
"I  worship  thee,  sweet  will  of  God." 


"Thy  will  is  my  peace."  In  the 
midst  of  afflictions  and  trials  and 
troubles  we  have,  through  Christ,  the 
peace  of  abiding  trust  in  God. 

IV.  Lastly,  notice  that  this  peace 
he  gives  us  is  the  source  of  power. 
Without  peace  there  is  no  power, 
when  the  mind  and  heart  are  dis- 
turbed and  torn  with  the  conscious- 
ness of  sin,  doubleness  of  character 
and  the  fear  of  distrust,  we  are  de- 
void of  power;  our  hands  are  en- 
feebled, our  hearts  are  distracted,  our 
energy  is  dissipated.  But  when  we 
have  peace,  the  peace  Christ  gives, 
we  are  "free  to  serve,"  we  have  cour- 
age for  undertaking  and  energy  with 
which  to  bring  success.  Let  us  ac- 
cept of  Christ's  peace,  deep,  continu- 
ous, abiding  peace.  Most  desirable 
of  gifts  is  it,  and  we  can  have  it  if 
we  will  accept  it. — H. 

A   Birthright   Bargained  Away 

"Looking  diligently  lest  any  man 
fail  of  the  grace  of  God,"  etc.  Heb. 
12:15-17. 

A  birthright  bargained  away! 
This  was  the  extreme  folly  of  Esau. 
We  doubt  if  ever,  since  the  world 
began,  there  was  struck  so  thought- 
less, so  foolish,  so  insane  a  bargain. 
Think  of  it !  For  one  short  mo- 
ment's gratification  he  signed  away 
his  inheritance,  he  stepped  out  of 
the  royal  line ;  as  with  a  single  stroke 
of  the  pen  he  struck  his  name  off 
the  roll  of  the  honorable  and  the 
great,  only  to  have  it  head  the  long 
list  of  fools  who  have  bartered  away 
life's  spiritual  possibilities  to  gratify 
the  fleeting  pleasures  of  the  flesh.  In 
another  place  it  is  recorded :  "Thus 
Esau  despised  his  birthright."  It  is 
a  terrible  word,  "despised,"  but  no 
milder  one  would  meet  the  case. 

God  intended  this  account  as  a 
perpetual  warning  to  us  all.  We 
must  recognize  that  this  incident  of 
Esau  carries  with  it  some  very 
practical  lessons.  One  of  them,  to 
which  we  give  our  first  attention,  is 
this: 

I.  That  in  all  spiritual  things  men 
barter  away  their  birthright  when- 
ever they  sacrifice  the  future  to  the 
present.  How  many  people  there 
are  who  seem  to  live  under  the  ab- 
solute dominion  of  the  present.  It 
is  the  most  common  cause  of  pov- 
erty. It  is  the  thing  back  of  all  we 
speak  of  as  "hand-to-mouth  living." 
It  is  the  mother  of  ignorance.     It  is 


170 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


the  source  of  all  habits  of  indolence 
and  intemperance  and  impurity.  As 
against  the  interest?  of  religion  it  is 
the  very  essence  of  the  worldly  spirit ; 
it  is  not  so  much  a  spirit  of  down- 
right wickedness  as  of,  Esau-like, 
weakly  yielding  to  the  hunger  for 
mere  temporary  gratification.  Esau 
saw  before  him  the  possibility  of  im- 
mediate enjoyment.  His  future  in- 
terests were  distant  and  vague  and 
shadowy.  And  it  was  as  though  he 
said,  "Let  the  future  take  care  of 
itself ;  'a  bird  in  the  hand  is  worth 
two  in  the  bush';  I  am  going  to  take 
these  dainty  morsels  while  I  can  get 
them."  Precisely  so  are  men  acting 
to-day,  and,  like  Esau,  in  doing  so 
they  are  playing  the  fool. 

II.  This  brings  us  to  notice  a  sec- 
ond, though  kindred  thought,  namely 
that  when  any  one  parts  with  his 
birthright  he  makes  a  woefully  bad 
bargain.  There  are  some  men  of  so 
little  business  tact  that  they  always 
get  cheated  in  a  bargain.  It  would 
be  better  for  them  to  keep  what  they 
already  have  and  never  engage  in 
trade.  So  do  men  point  with  scorn 
at  this  famous  transaction  when 
Esau  for  one  morsel  of  meat  sold 
his  birthright ;  and  yet  there  are  mul- 
titudes of  people  everywhere  who  are 
making  far  more  shocking  and  ridicu- 
lous bargains. 

(1)  Men  barter  their  birthright 
for  pleasure.  Examples  of  this  we 
see  every  day. 

(2)  Men  barter  their  birthright 
too,  for  fame.  Henry  of  Navarre 
made  a  choice  between  the  crown 
of  France  and  his  soul, — between 
fame  and  Christ.  He  deliberately  de- 
cided to  accept  the  kingdom  and  sac- 
rifice his  religion.  What  do  you 
think  of  his  bargain? 

(3)  How  sadly  common  it  is,  too, 
for  men  to  barter  their  birthright  for 
gold.  There  are  men  all  about  us 
who  are  selling  their  souls  for  a  mere 
pittance  of  this  world's  goods.  There 
are  men  in  all  our  communities  who 
are  selling  their  souls  and  destroying 
the  souls  of  hundreds  of  others,  for 
the  paltry  consideration  of  the  few 
dollars  which  they  receive  across  a 
saloon  bar;  while  their  customers, 
among  the  rich  and  poor  alike,  are 
daily  bartering  their  souls  for  rum 
to  feed  a  depraved  appetite.  The 
whole  truth  of  the  matter  is  this, 
that  sin  is  a  great  cheat ;  that  Satan 
is    bad    pay.     When   any    one    parts 


with  his  birthright  at  any  price,  he 
makes  a  woefully  bad  bargain. 

III.  One  other  lesson;  it  is  this, 
that  as  in  the  case  of  Esau,  when 
the  bargain  is  once  made,  you  can 
not  "rue."  "For  ye  know  that  after- 
ward when  he  would  have  inherited 
the  blessing  he  was  rejected;  for  he 
found  no  place  of  repentance,  though 
he  sought  it  carefully  with  tears." 
In  all  God's  Word  I  know  of  no 
thought  more  solemn  than  this — that 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  unsuccessful 
repentance,  regret  that  does  not  cure. 

(1)  For  example,  suppose  that  you 
have  foolishly  bartered  away  the 
birthright  of  youth.  Take  a  man 
who  wakens  up  at  40  years  of  age 
and  finds  that  his  youth  has  been 
wasted,  and  then  strives  to  get  back 
his  early  advantages.  Does  he  get 
them  back? 

(2)  Another  example, — the  case  of 
parents  who  have  bartered  away 
their  birthright  of  past  faithfulness 
to  their  children.  That  parent  who 
omits  in  the  first  ten  years  of  a 
child's  life  to  make  an  eternal  im- 
pression for  Christ  and  the  good  the 
chances  are  a  thousand  to  one  that 
he  will  never  make  it  at  all. 

(3)  Just  so  is  it,  again,  every  time 
we  barter  away  any  single  oppor- 
tunity for  doing  good.  There  is  noth- 
ing in  this  world  so  vain  as  trying 
to  get  back  a  lost  opportunity. 

(4)  Once  more,  we  remind  any 
who  may  be  neglectful  of  the  matter 
that  the  same  danger  threatens  in 
regard  to  the  soul's  eternal  salva- 
tion. God  says,  "My  Spirit  shall  not 
always   strive." 

A  few  years  ago  our  government 
decided  to  redeem  all  trade  dollars 
at  their  face  value,  though  they  were 
really  worth  only  85  cents.  If  on  or 
before  the  30th  day  of  September, 
1887,  you  had  taken  to  the  treasury 
those  coins  you  would  have  received 
in  exchange  a  full  dollar  for  every 
one.  But  you  cannot  do  that  now. 
It  is  too  late.  The  day  of  the  re- 
demption of  that  coin  has  passed.  So 
there  is  a  time  for  the  redemption 
of  every  soul.  If  you  let  that  time 
pass,  it  is  gone,  and  once  gone,  it  is 
gone   forever. — H. 

The  Evil  of  a  Divided  Heart 

"Their  heart  is  divided ;  now  shall 
they  be  found  faulty."     Hosea  10 :  2. 

Israel,  as  a  nation,  divided  its  alle- 
giance between  Jehovah  and  Baal,  and 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      171 


so  was  given  up  to  captivity.  Men 
and  women  suffer  evil,  also,  as  a 
result  of  a  divided  heart.  It  brings 
loss  of  spiritual  blessing,  and  leads 
to  results  that  are  much  to  be  de- 
plored. 

I.  How  does  the  having  of  a  di- 
vided heart  manifest  itself? 

(1)  In  the  lack  of  a  single-hearted 
reliance  upon  Christ  for  salvation. 
There  are  persons  who  possess  faith 
in  Christ,  and  yet  they  rely  upon 
self.  None  but  Christ  can  save  them ; 
they  cannot  save  themselves,  and  yet 
they  fail  in  making  Christ  the  only 
ground  of  their  hope.  They  try  to 
mix  grace  and  works.  They  forget 
that  we  are  saved  by  grace  alone. 
After  we  are  saved  we  have  the  priv- 
ilege and  duty  of  working  as  much 
as  we  will,  but  there  is  but  one 
Saviour,  Christ,  our  Lord,  and  he 
must  be  trusted  entirely  for  redemp- 
tion. 

(2)  In  the  lack  of  a  single-hearted 
love  for  God  and  his  character.  God 
is  not  loved  at  all  if  he  is  not  loved 
wholly.  As  Saint  Augustine  has  said : 
"How  seldom  is  Jesus  sought  for 
Jesus."  God  wants  a  sincere  and 
single-hearted  love  from  us,  and 
there  are  many  who  profess  to  serve 
him  who  do  not  love  him  in  this 
way  and  revere  his  character  as  they 
ought. 

(3)  In  the  lack  of  a  single-hearted 
loyalty  to  God  and  his  service.  "No 
man  can  serve  two  masters."  "Ye 
cannot  serve  God  and  mammon." 
There  are  too  many  who  try  to  ren- 
der this  kind  of  half-hearted  service. 

II.  How  are  those  possessed  of  a 
divided  heart  regarded  by  God? 
They  are  "found  faulty."  In  other 
words,  their  condition  is  not  such  as 
God  can  approve.  They  are  faulty, 
because 

(1)  Not  to  depend  on  Christ  solely 
is  faulty.  When  he  purchases  re- 
demption for  us,  he  wants  us  to  ac- 
cept of  his  finished  work.  When 
he  forgives  us,  he  wants  us  to  be- 
lieve that  he  pardons  completely. 
When  he  saves  us,  he  saves  us  fully 
and  by  his  own  almighty  power. 
We  cannot  be  otherwise  than  faulty 
in  his  sight  if  we  try  to  take  away 
from  the  completeness  of  his  work. 

(2)  Not  to  love  singly  is  faulty. 
Christ  is  insulted  when  a  rival  is 
admitted.  In  this  respect  his  love  is 
like  a  husband  for  a  wife  or  a  wife 
for  a   husband ;   it   demands    single- 


heartedness.  Those  whose  hearts  are 
divided,  whose  love  is  thus  faulty, 
cannot   be   pleasing  to    Christ. 

(3)  Not  to  serve  singly  is  faulty. 
If  a  minister  of  Christ  were,  in  his 
work,  to  aim  at  something  else  be- 
sides his  proper  effort  for  the  good 
of  souls,  whether  it  be  fame,  learn- 
ing, philosophy,  rhetoric,  or  personal 
gain,  he  certainly  would  be  a  very 
faulty  servant  of  God.  And  so  with 
any  Christian  who  does  not  have  a 
single  purpose  to  advance  the  king- 
dom and  do  God's  will,  he  is  certainly 
manifesting  a  divided  heart,  and  is 
found  faulty.  There  are  Christians 
who  seem  to  wish  to  walk  as  near 
the  line  between  right  and  wrong  as 
ever  they  can,  just  so  they  are  not 
clear  over  on  the  wrong  side.  Like 
some  trees,  they  stand  on  the  right 
side  of  the  fence,  but  they  lean  a 
little  over  and  when  they  fall  they 
are  sure  to  fall  the  wrong  way.  Such 
Christians  show  a  lack  of  devotion. 
They  want  to  get  to  heaven,  but  to 
enjoy  just  as  much  of  sin  and  sinful 
pleasure  as  they  possibly  can,  con- 
sistent with  safety.  They  want  to 
reach  out  just  as  far  and  gather  as 
many  of  the  flowers  that  grow  on 
the  edge  of  the  dangerous  precipice 
of  sin  as  ever  they  can,  just  so  they 
do  not  go  over.  They  try  Christ's 
patience  and  long-suffering  love  just 
as  far  as  they  dare,  so  he  does  not 
cast  them  off  for  ever. 

Let  us  give  God  our  whole  heart. 
He  says :  "My  son,  give  me  thy 
heart."  He  says  to  a  seeker:  "Ye 
shall  seek  me  and  ye  shall  find  me 
when  ye  shall  search  for  me  with  all 
thy  heart."  In  seeking  God,  in  lov- 
ing God,  in  serving  God,  he  asks  us 
to  do  it  with  the  whole  heart.  Christ 
gave  his  whole  heart  to  our  redemp- 
tion. Let  us  give  a  whole  heart  to 
his   service. 

Whole-hearted  service  is  the  way 
to  the  respect  of  our  fellows.  It 
is  the  way  to  personal  happinesss. 
It  is  the  way  to  highest  usefulness. 
It  is  the  way  to  God's  approval  and 
richest  rewards. — H. 

Called  for  a  Purpose 

"Who  knowest  whether  thou  art 
come  to  the  kingdom  for  such  a  time 
as  this?"     Esther  4:14. 

The  historical  account  in  the  Book 
of  Esther  is  familiar.  Read  in  God's 
word,  sung  in  cantata,  studied  in  his- 
tory,   and    so    beautiful    a    story    in 


172 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


itself,  probably  no  portion  of  Scrip- 
ture is  more  familiar  to  old  and 
young  alike.  Let  us  apply  the  lesson 
of  Esther's  call  to  ourselves.  You 
may  think  yourself  small,  but  no 
one  else  can  fill  your  place.  Why 
not  believe  that  you  are  raised  up 
of  God  for  a  purpose?  That  you 
have  some  special  powers  with  spe- 
cial opportunities?  That  there  is  a 
place  in  which  you  stand  that  no 
other  living  soul  can  stand?  "Who 
knowest  whether  thou  art  come  to 
the  kingdom  for  such  a  time  as 
this?"  Why  were  you  born  when 
you  were  and  where  you  were?  Why 
are  you  living  in  this  twentieth  cen- 
tury, and  especially  in  these  early 
years  of  the  century?  Why  were 
you  entrusted  with  health  and  means, 
and  position,  and  friends,  and  oppor- 
tunity? "Who  knowest  whether  thou 
art  come  to  the  kingdom  for  such  a 
time  as  this?" 

I.  Remember,  first,  that  like 
Esther,  you  cannot  separate  your 
interests  from  those  of  your  people 
and  your  God.  Mordecai  made  it 
plain  to  Esther  that  she  should  not 
escape  in  the  seclusion  of  the  king's 
palace  were  she  to  fail  of  her  duty. 
He  told  her  in  case  of  her  failure 
deliverance  would  arise  to  the  Jews 
from  another  place,  "but  thou  and 
thy  father's  house  shall  be  de- 
stroyed." We  are  all  bound  together 
in  a  bundle  of  interests.  "No  man 
liveth  to  himself."  Did  the  tempta- 
tion ever  come  to  you  to  think  of 
yourself  alone?  It  is  the  very  badge 
of  a  disciple  that  he  join  not  only 
Christ,  but  his  cause ;  that  he  con- 
sider not  alone  himself,  but  others. 
You  must  give  yourself  to  Christ  to 
make  his  interests  your  interests,  his 
life  your  life,  his  kingdom  your  king- 
dom, his  glory  your  glory.  You 
must  let  your  personal  welfare 
merge  itself  into  the  interests  of 
your  Lord.  It  will  never  do  simply 
to  accept  Christ  to  save  us  without 
accepting  him  to  rule  over  and  in 
us.  The  very  act  of  enlisting  is  the 
offering  yourself  for  service. 

II.  Again,  as  in  the  case  of  Es- 
ther, not  only  are  your  interests  in- 
separably associated  with  those  of 
your  fellowmen,  but  they  are,  in- 
deed, absolutely  identical.  There  are 
a  great  many  people  who  think  that 
they  can  be  interested  in  religion  or 
not,  just  as  they  please.  No,  they 
are    mightily    interested    in    religion 


whether  they  know  it  or  not.  We 
have  seen  in  a  religious  periodical 
the  account  of  a  man  in  Texas  who 
asked  a  missionary  of  the  Sunday- 
school  Union  if  the  Bible  said  any- 
thing about  Sunday-schools,  and  de- 
clared himself  opposed  to  them. 
Next  morning,  the  missionary  met 
this  same  man  on  an  early  train. 
The  man  said  he  was  going  after 
his  half -grown  boy,  who  had  run 
away  from  home,  and  who  was  giv- 
ing him  a  great  deal  of  trouble. 
"There  ought  to  be  a  law  to  prevent 
such  things,"  said  the  man.  "There 
is  a  law,"  said  the  missionary,  "the 
law  of  God."  "Well,  it  was  a  bad 
orphan  boy  in  the  neighborhood  who 
persuaded  my  son  to  run  away,"  said 
the  father.  "That  shows  how  our 
homes  are  not  safe  if  there  are  bad 
boys  around,"  said  the  missionary. 
The  fact  is  that  we  must  train  other 
children  or  ours  are  not  safe.  That 
is  the  lesson  that  comes  right  home 
to  all  Christian  parents.  You  cannot 
separate  your  interests  into  one  little 
parcel.  You  must  train  other  chil- 
dren or  your  own  are  not  safe.  The 
question  of  the  prevalence  of  Chris- 
tianity in  your  community  touches 
you  whether  you  know  that  it  does 
or  not.  If  your  neighbor's  yard  is 
filthy,  the  disease  germs  will  not  re- 
spect your  garden  wall.  They  will 
come  up  into  your  windows,  smite 
down  your  children,  or  yourself. 
Moral  pestilence  also  concerns  us  all. 
If  the  cause  of  Christ  suffers,  you 
suffer;  if  the  tone  of  morality  suf- 
fers, you  suffer;  if  a  high  ideal  of 
Christian  character  suffers,  you  suf- 
fer with  it.  There  are  a  great  many 
people  in  every  community  who  take 
no  interest  in  religion ;  never  attend 
church ;  pay  nothing  to  the  support 
of  the  gospel;  and  at  least  by  their 
actions  show  that  they  care  for  none 
of  these  things.  They  think  they  can 
separate  their  interests  from  Chris- 
tianity.    Vain  attempt ! 

III.  Once  more,  this  incident  of 
Esther,  so  full  of  lessons,  may  well 
bring  us  another  thought,  as  to  what 
an  exalted  position  we  have  been 
brought,  and  why?  Was  it  not  a 
strange  thing  that  Esther,  the  foster 
child  of  a  humble  Jew,  should  rise 
from  lowly  rank  to  be  Queen  of 
Persia?  Yet,  if  we  were  to  say  that 
you  have  been  raised  to  the  position 
of  kings  and  queens,  it  would  be  poor 
exaltation,  compared  with  that  which 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      173 


you  have  actually  received.  Kings 
and  priests  unto  God !  "Heirs  of 
God  and  joint  heirs  with  Christ"! 

IV.  What  then  are  the  obligations 
of  one  so  highly  favored?  God  has  a 
purpose  toward  others  in  our  exalta- 
tion. As  truly  as  with  Esther,  so 
has  he  in  your  case.  We  are  saved 
to  save  others.  Why  should  not  each 
of  us  feel  that  we  have  come  to  our 
kingdom  for  such  a  time  as  this? 
That  we  and  our  work  fit  together? 
Are  you  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday- 
school?  Who  knows  but  what  you 
have  come  to  your  class  at  this  very 
time  to  bring  them  all  safe  into  the 
fold  of  Christ?  Are  you  a  young 
man,  newly  accepting  the  duties  of 
church  membership?  Who  knows  but 
what  God  brought  you  into  the 
church  to  be  a  wonderful  blessing  to 
the  church?  to  meet  the  great  need 
for  men  who  will  sacrifice  and  work 
and  take  responsibility  in  his  name 
and  for  his  sake?  And  how  many 
Esthers  there  are,  called  to  be 
queens !  Society  is  in  bondage  to  evil 
practices.  Death  to  all  that  is  pure 
and  true  is  threatened.  "Who 
knoweth  whether  thou  art  come  to 
the  kingdom  for  such  a  time  as 
this?"  is  the  message  to  every  Chris- 
tian woman.  You  may  be  Israel's 
deliverer  if  you  will.  Each  servant 
of  God  is  called  for  a  purpose.  We 
each  have  a  kingdom.  To  it  we  are 
brought  for  such  a  time  as  this.  A 
holy  confidence  in  God's  divine  pur- 
pose regarding  us  should  fill  us  with 
mighty  impulse  toward  a  heroic  life. 
— H. 

Blest  to  Bless:  Preparation  for  Re- 
vival 

"I  will  bless  thee,  and  make  thy 
name  great ;  and  be  thou  a  blessing." 
(R.  V.)     Gen  12:2. 

When  God  blesses  us  with  gifts  of 
any  kind,  he  wants  us  to  be  a  bless- 
ing to  others.  Nothing  he  gives  us 
is  for  ourselves  alone;  we  receive 
that  we  may  give  again. 

I.  Notice,  first,  the  fact  that  this 
is  God's  plan  for  carrying  on  his 
work.  So  far  as  we  can  see  it  is 
God's  plan  to  convert  the  world 
through  man's  effort  for  men.  Christ 
said,  'As  the  Father  has  sent  me, 
even  so  send  I  you."  There  was  once 
a  man  who  came  to  Christ  being 
possessed  of  an  unclean  spirit. 
Christ  cast  out  the  evil  spirit  and 
restored  him  to  his  right  mind.    Then, 


in  his  gratitude,  the  man  prayed  that 
he  might  go  with  Christ.  The  wish 
seemed  natural  and  right,  but,  "No," 
Christ  said,  "I  have  blessed  thee,  now 
be  thou  a  blessing — go  home  to  thy 
friends  and  tell  them  how  great 
things  the  Lord  has  done  for  thee." 
Two  of  John's  disciples  were  pointed 
to  Christ.  They  asked  him,  "Master, 
where  dwellest  thou?"  And  he  said, 
"Come  and  see."  They  spent  the  day 
with  him.  But  the  blessing  they  got 
had  all  the  force  of  a  command  to 
them.  It  was  as  if  Christ  had  said, 
"Now,  John,  I  have  blest  thee,  be 
thou  a  blessing.  Go  find  your  brother 
and  bring  him  to  me."  Or,  turning 
to  Andrew,  "Andrew,  you  have  been 
with  me  to-day;  now  that  I  have 
blest  thee,  be  thou  a  blessing  to  thy 
brother  Simon." 

Whatever  the  gift  God  has  be- 
stowed upon  you,  he  wants  you  to  use 
it  to  bless  others. 

(1)  Maybe  he  has  given  you  youth, 
vigor  and  strength.  He  says,  "I 
will  bless  thee  with  these;  now  be 
thou  a  blessing  to  others  through 
these  gifts." 

(2)  Maybe  God  has  blessed  you 
with  loving,  winning  ways, — with 
beauty  of  person  and  form  and  fea- 
ture. He  says  to  you,  "Be  thou  a 
blessing,  and  use  these  gifts  to  win 
others  to  Christ."  You  can  teach  in 
the  Sunday-school,  you  can  work  in 
the  church ;  by  your  very  winsome- 
ness  you  can  bless  others. 

(3)  Maybe  God  has  blessed  you 
with  the  possession  of  influence  and 
the  respect  of  your  neighbors.  These 
are  gifts  you  may  employ  to  bless  the 
world. 

(4)  God  may  have  blessed  you  as 
parents.  You  have  the  love  of  your 
family  as  a  rich  gift;  now  be  thou  a 
blessing  by  using  a  parent's  influ- 
ence to  lead  your  household  to 
Christ. 

(5)  God  may  have  blessed  you  in 
business  and  entrusted  you  with 
means.  Be  thou  a  blessing  in  help- 
ing the  poor,  and  in  supporting  and 
spreading  the  gospel. 

(6)  It  may  be  the  gift  of  music  or 
song  you  possess.  Then  be  you  a 
singing  pilgrim,  hymning  the  gospel 
into  the  hearts  of  men.  "Though 
they  may  forget  the  singer,  they  will 
not  forget  the  song." 

Not  one  of  us  but  has  some  talent, 
some  opportunity,  some  way  in  which 
we  have  been  blessed  that  we  may 


174 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


use,  in  turn,  in  blessing  others.  It 
is  our  duty  to  do  so.  It  is  in  this 
way  God's  work  is  to  be  done  in  the 
world. 

II.  Not  only  is  this  God's  plan, 
but,  secondly,  all  our  success  de- 
pends upon  our  following  it. 

There  is  a  dangerous  tendency  in 
these  days  toward  individual  shift- 
ing of  personal  duty  upon  the  shoul- 
ders of  committees,  and  corporations, 
and  associations.  We  form  associa- 
tions. We  pass  resolutions.  We  ap- 
point committees.  We  circulate  peti- 
tions. Let  us  remember  that  none  of 
these  things  can  take  the  place  of 
personal,  individual  effort.  Your  in- 
dividual duty  cannot  be  done  through 
any  committee  or  association.  There 
is  a  tendency  to  rely  upon  great 
movements  in  the  Church, — upon  the 
use  of  methods  and  machinery.  The 
Church  cannot  by  any  method  lay 
hold  of  some  huge  drag-net  and  draw 
in  at  a  single  haul  a  multitude  of 
fishes.  Christian  work  must  be 
largely  individual  work,  upon  indi- 
vidual hearts.  Dr.  Cuyler  once  re- 
marked :  "A  great  many  crude  things 
have  been  said  about  the  machinery 
of  revivals ;  but  there  is  one  sort  of 
machinery  as  old  as  the  apostles  and 
which  never  wears  out ;  it  is  the  sim- 
ple method  of  personal  effort 
prompted  by  love."  All  Christian 
work  succeeds  largely  in  proportion 
as  individual  Christians  become  pos- 
sessed with  the  sense  of  their  personal 
duty.  "I  will  bless  thee,  and  be  thou 
a  blessing."  Great  things  would  come 
about  if  in  all  our  churches  we  could 
get  the  membership  conscious  of  their 
personal  opportunities  and  responsi- 
bilities. Mr.  Spurgeon  says  that 
when  Moses  went  to  tell  the  king  of 
Egypt  that  he  would  call  up  the 
plague  of  frogs  upon  the  land,  he 
can  imagine  the  king  answering: 
"Your  God  is  the  God  of  frogs,  is 
he?  Well,  I  am  not  afraid  of  frogs, 
so  bring  them  on."  "But,"  says 
Moses,  "there  are  a  great  many  of 
them,  O  King."  And  the  king  found 
that  out !  So  we  may  be  very  weak 
individually,  but  in  each  church  there 
are  a  great  many  of  us,  and  we  may 
accomplish  a  great  deal  of  work  if 
we  will. 

God's  plan  is  this :  "I  will  bless 
thee ;  be  thou  a  blessing."  All  our 
success  depends  upon  our  following 
that  plan.  But  let  us  not  forget,  also, 
that  our  highest  blessedness  will  come 


in  this  same  way.  God  says,  "He 
that  watereth  shall  be  watered  also 
himself."  "To  him  that  hath,  shall 
be  given."  Our  highest  joy  comes 
in  the  very  act  of  service. — H. 

At  the  Door 

"And  all  the  city  was  gathered  to- 
gether at  the  door."  Mark  1 :  35.  "I 
am  the  door."    John  10:9. 

I.  This  gathering. 

(1)  Who  composed  this  gathering? 
"All  the  city."  "It  takes  all  in  all 
sorts,"  etc.     Sick,  well,  friends. 

(2)  They  were  the  neighbors  of 
Jesus.     Who  is  our  neighbor? 

(3)  They  were  the  citizens  of  the 
most  highly  favored  city.  Privileges 
of  Capernaum. 

II.  The  place  of  the  gathering. 

(1)  A  strange  place  for  such  a 
gathering.  At  the  door  of  a  private 
house.    Peter's  mother-in-law's  house. 

(2)  Still  it  was  a  good  place  for 
any  gathering.     Jesus  was  inside ! 

(3)  Yet  it  was  a  poor  place  after 
all,  for  a  gathering.  Only  at  the 
door  !     "Outsiders"  and  "Insiders." 

III.  Why  was  that  gathering  at 
that  place? 

(1)  To  see  Jesus ! 

(2)  To  hear  Jesus  ! 

(3)  To  be  blessed  by  Jesus. 

IV.  Thoughts  from  the  union  of 
these  texts. 

(1)  All  men  are  looking  for  this 
door!  There  is  a  universal  need,  de- 
sire, effort  to  get  salvation. 

(2)  Many  men  never  see  this  door! 
The  multitudes  in  heathendom.  How 
sad  their  condition.  Some  will  not 
look. 

(3)  Some  men  see  this  door,  but 
will  not  enter  it !  Who  they  are. 
Awful  responsibility.  Jesus  came  on 
earth  to  be  the  Door.  Where  can  we 
find  him?  You  are  at  the  door  just 
now! 

The  Conversion  of  Saul 
Acts  9: 1-30. 

I.  Its  circumstances :  Without  pre- 
liminary preparation  or  special  in- 
struction— without  human  instrumen- 
tality—  attended  with  miraculous 
scenes. 

II.  Its  nature :  A  sudden  and  en- 
tire change  in  his  views  of  Jesus 
Christ.  He  has  thought  of  him  as 
(a)  mere  man;  (b)  a  bad  man; 
(c)  a  pretending  Messiah;  therefore 
he  has  felt  it  his  duty  to  arrest  the 
progress  of  his  religion. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      175 


These  false  views  of  Christ  were 
instantly  rejected,  and  he  saw  him 
as  (a)  his  divine  Lord;  (b)  the  hu- 
man Jesus ;  (c)  the  promised  Mes- 
siah, and  whose  religion  it  was  his 
duty  to  advance. 

III.  The  agency :  Not  men  or  out- 
ward circumstances,  but  it  was  the 
immediate  act  of  God — the  special 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

IV.  Effects  of  this  change:  From 
despising,  hating,  opposing  he  came 
to  adoring,  loving,  following  Christ 
with  his  whole  heart — consecrated 
himself  to  the  endeavor  to  persuade 
men  to  be  Christians — became  one 
of  the  greatest,  best  and  happiest  of 
men — secured  a  high  place  among  the 
redeemed  in  glory. — Henderson. 

Conversion  of  Cornelius 

Acts  10. 

I.  Cornelius  was  doing  the  will  of 
God  so  far  as  he  knew  it.  (a) 
feared  God;  (b)  taught  his  house- 
hold;  (c)  gave  alms;   (d)   prayed. 

II.  He  earnestly  desired  to  know 
more  about  spiritual  things. 

III.  He  obeyed  God's  directions 
how  to  learn  more,  (a)  Sent  for 
God's  messenger;  (b)  heard  the 
Word  attentively ;  (c)  opened  his 
heart  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 

IV.  He  called  his  friends  together, 
that  they,  too,  might  receive  the  bless- 
ing. 

V.  He  united  with  Christ's  Church 
without  delay. 

VI.  He  kept  on  trying  to  learn 
more;  by  desiring  Peter  to  tarry. — 
Henderson. 

Soldier  of  Jesus  Christ 
2  Tim.  2  :  2. 

(1)  Volunteers.     Heb.  11:25. 

(2)  Uniformed.  Phil.  3:9;  Rev. 
3:4. 

(3)  Armed.    Eph.  6:11,  18. 

(4)  Drilled.     Eph.  6:13. 

(5)  Ready  to  advance  on  the 
enemy.     Ex.  14  :  15. 

(6)  Endurance.    2  Tim.  2:3. 

(7)  Victorious.  2  Tim.  4:7;  Rom. 
8:37. 

(8)  A  grand  review.  Rev.  7:13- 
15. — Rev.  Hay  Bell. 

Christ's  Invitation 

"Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor 
and  are  heavv  laden,  and  I  will  give 
you  rest."     Matt.  11:28. 

I.  The  characters  addressed.  They 
who  labor  and  are  heavy  laden. 


(1)  With  a  sense  of  sin  in  its  de- 
filing, condemning  and  distressing 
power. 

(2)  With  a  sense  of  their  own 
weakness,  unable  to  remove  their 
misery. 

(3)  With  many  doubts  and  fears. 

(4)  With  many  sorrows. 

II.  The  invitation  given.  Come 
unto  me.  To  Christ,  the  rich,  com- 
passionate, kind  powerful  One — 
King,  Teacher,  Physician,  Shepherd, 
Friend. 

(1)  Possessed  of  a  perfect  knowl- 
edge of  your  case. 

(2)  Willing  to  bless. 

(3)  Able  to  save  and  relieve. 

III.  The  blessing  promised.   "Rest." 

(1)  Peace  and  rest  here  arising 
from  forgiving  and  justifying 
grace. 

(2)  Full  enjoyment  of  heaven  here- 
after. 

A  Threefold  Manner  of  Life 

I.  Soberly — In  regard  to  ourselves. 
Rom.  12:3. 

II.  Righteously — In  respect  of  the 
world.     Prov.  2 :  20. 

III.  Godly — In  relation  to  God.  2 
Tim.  3 :  12. 

Out  of  Egypt  Into  Canaan 

"And  he  brought  us  out  from 
thence,"  etc.     Deut.  6 :  23. 

This  verse  refers  to  that  wonder- 
ful exodus  from  Egypt  when  God 
brought  out  his  people — out  of  the 
land  of  bondage,  and  into  their  Ca- 
naan home.  It  was  a  great  salvation, 
a  signal  deliverance  which  parents 
and  children  alike  were  to  keep  in 
mind.  The  verse  beautifully  illus- 
trates, we  think,  the  outbringing 
from  sin  and  the  inbringing  into 
Christ  of  every  Christian  soul,  which 
it  is  just  as  important,  whether  we 
be  young  or  old,  that  we  keep  ever 
in  loving  remembrance. 

I.  Notice,  in  the  first  place,  that 
to  every  Christian  soul  there  is  a 
bringing  out  of  bondage  into  the 
glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of 
God.  "He  brought  us  out  from 
thence  that  he  might  bring  us  in," — 
out  of  the  bondage  of  sin  into  the 
liberty  of  the  children  of  God. 

Every  sinner  is  a  slave.  Conver- 
sion is  emancipation.  Christ  is  a  lib- 
erator. The  Bible  constantly  speaks 
of  our  condition  in  sin  as  bondage. 
The  hardest  bondage  in  this  world  is 
the  bondage  of   sin.     Like  with  Is- 


176 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


rael  in  Egypt  sin  "makes  our  lives 
bitter,  with  hard  bondage,  in  mortar 
and  in  brick,  and  in  all  manner  of 
service."  As  truly  as  with  the  bond- 
men in  Egypt  is  every  unconverted 
soul  forced  to  "make  bricks  without 
straw." 

But  just  here  comes  in  the  meaning 
of  the  mission  of  Christ.  He  is  the 
soul's  Emancipator,  giving  deliver- 
ance to  every  captive  the  moment  he 
trusts  him.  On  the  instant  of  faith 
the  fetters  are  stricken  off,  and  we 
step  forth  upon  God's  broad  earth, 
free  men, — out  of  bondage  and  into 
the  glorious  liberty  of  the  sons  of 
God. 

He  brought  us  out  from  thence  that 
he  might  bring  us  in — 

"Out  of  the  distance  and  darkness 

so  deep, 
Out    of    the    settled    and    perilous 

sleep ; 
Out  of  the  bondage  and  wearing  of 

chains, 
Out    of    companionship    ever    with 
stains, — 
Into  the  light  and  the  glory  of 

God, 
Into  the   holiest,  made  clean   by 

his  blood ; 
Into  the  quiet,  the  infinite  calm, 
Into  the   place   of  the  song  and 
the  psalm, — 
Wonderful  love,  that  has  wrought 

all  for  me ! 
Wonderful  work  that  has  thus  set 

me  free ! 
Wonderful   ground   upon   which   I 

have  come ! 
Wonderful   tenderness,    welcoming 
home !" 

II.  A  second  practical  thought  is 
this,  that  having  sincerely  accepted 
the  deliverance  of  Christ,  God  by 
his  grace  brings  us  out  of  the  old 
practices  and  into  the  new. 

Conversion,  if  genuine,  makes  a 
radical  change  of  conduct.  Profane 
lips  stop  swearing,  and  tippling  lips 
cease  drinking,  Sabbath-breakers  seek 
the  house  of  God  and  pleasure-seek- 
ers find  higher  pleasure  in  trying  to 
please  their  Master. 

A  young  girl  recently  seeking  union 
with  the  Church  was  asked  if  she 
could  think  of  any  way  in  which  be- 
ing a  Christian  ought  to  make  a 
change  in  her  life.  She  replied,  "I 
should  think  it  ought  to  make  a 
change    in    every   way."     Who    will 


deny  that  she  had  the  right  concep- 
tion of  Christian  living?  She  had 
firmly  fixed  in  her  mind  and  heart 
the  principle  that  religion  has  much 
to  do  not  only  with  the  inward  mo- 
tive, but  with  the  outward  life. 

Change  of  character  and  conduct 
is  the  test.  "By  their  fruits  ye  shall 
know  them."  "He  brought  us  out 
from  thence  that  he  might  bring  us 
in," — out  of  old  practices  and  into 
the  new.  See  this  illustrated  in  the 
change  in  Paul  from  a  persecutor  to 
the  most  devoted  apostle.  See  it 
manifested  in  John  Bunyan,  born  of 
a  low  Gypsy  woman,  wicked,  vulgar, 
blasphemous  beyond  expression,  yet 
yonder  is  John  Bunyan  again,  behind 
the  bars  of  Bedford  prison,  with 
God's  Word  in  one  hand,  and  with 
the  other,  pointing  the  whole  world 
into  the  way  that  leads  from  destruc- 
tion up  to  the  gates  of  the  Celestial 
City !  What  a  difference  in  the  same 
man !  God  does  by  his  grace  bring 
us  into  the  right  and  beautiful  con- 
duct of  the  new. 

III.  There  is  yet  another  "com- 
ing out,"  which  is  essential  to  all 
healthy  and  happy  piety, — coming  out 
from  the  world  and  into  Christ's 
fold.  Out  of  Egypt  ought  to  mean 
into  Canaan.  We  cannot  belong  in 
the  Church  and  in  the  world  both. 
No  man  can  divide  his  allegiance. 
The  Bible  draws  sharp  lines.  On  one 
side  walks  Christ ;  on  the  other  side 
goes  the  world.  No  man  can  bestride 
the  line  and  walk  with  both.  It  is 
said  that  the  first  king  of  the  Sax- 
ons who  was  baptized  had  in  the  same 
church  one  altar  to  the  Christian  re- 
ligion and  another  for  sacrificing  to 
demons.  It  will  never  do !  Full  well 
do  we  know  that  no  such  service  is 
acceptable  to  God.  Half-heartedness 
is  sin.  Indecision  is  sin.  Delay  is 
sin.  When  God  gives  us  his  grace, 
he  asks  in  return  a  heart-loyalty  that 
will  carry  us  clear  over  from  the 
world's  side  to  Christ's  side.  "He 
brings  us  out  from  thence  that  he 
may  bring  us  in." 

"Out  of  the  false  and  into  the  true, 
Out  of  the  old  man  into  the  new, 
Out    of    what    measures    the    full 

depth  of  'lost,' 
Out  of  it  all  at  an  infinite  cost; 
Into  the  union  which  nothing  can 

part, 
Into   what   satisfies  his    and   my 
heart ; 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      177 


Into   the    deepest   of    joys    ever 

had— 
Into  the  gladness  of  making  God 
glad! 
Wonderful    Person   whom   I   shall 

behold ! 
Wonderful    story    then    all    to    be 

told! 
Wonderful   all  the   dread   way   he 

trod! 
Wonderful  end,  he  has  brought  me 
to  God !" 

*-H. 

Closed  Door  and  Waiting  Saviour 

"Behold  I  stand  at  the  door  and 
knock,"  etc.     Rev.  3  :  20. 

There  is  a  wonderful  picture  by 
Holman  Hunt,  called  "The  Light  of 
the  World."  It  represents  the  Sav- 
iour knocking  at  the  door  of  the 
heart,  in  illustration  of  these  words : 
"Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and 
knock,"  etc.  He  stands  with  bowed 
head,  listening.  Across  the  door 
vines  have  grown ;  it  has  been  long 
since  it  was  unclosed.  He  holds  in 
his  hand  a  lantern,  from  which  the 
rays  fall  on  some  fruit  which  has 
dropped  ungathered.  His  back  is  to- 
ward the  light  of  the  rising  moon. 
The  attitude  is  that  of  earnest,  im- 
portunate waiting. 

There  is  another  picture,  by  the 
artist  Bida,  which  might  well  be 
made  a  companion  piece  of  Hunt's. 
It  illustrates  the  passage  in  the 
twenty-fifth  chapter  of  St.  Matthew 
regarding  the  five  foolish  virgins. 
They,  too,  are  in  waiting,  having  cast 
themselves  down  in  despair  on  the 
steps  of  a  palace.  One  picture  repre- 
sents Jesus  standing  at  the  door  of 
men's  hearts  knocking  for  admission 
there ;  the  other  shows  us  those  who 
have  refused  to  hear  his  voice  plead- 
ing for  admission  into  his  heavenly 
kingdom.  One  refers  to  time,  the 
other  to  the  morning  of  eternity. 
One  shows  how  easy  it  is  to  be  saved 
now ;  the  other  shows  how  hopeless 
we  will  have  made  our  condition  if 
we  harden  our  hearts,  neglect  our 
opportunities,  continue  to  exclude 
Christ,  and  let  our  characters  become 
fixed  in  the  mould  of  evil. 

I.  A  closed  door  and  a  waiting 
Saviour. 

(1)  Infinite  love  is  certainly  mani- 
fested in  the  fact  that  Christ,  the 
King  of  earth  and  heaven,  comes  to 
us,  not  waiting  for  us  to  go  to  him. 

(2)  More  than  this,  he  stands,  in 


the  position  of  a  suppliant.  How 
strange  that  any  one  should  hesitate 
to  hasten  out  and  entreat  him  to  come 
in  as  rightful  Lord  and  most  welcome 
guest ! 

(3)  But  his  affectionate  desire  to- 
wards us  is  not  satisfied  without  fur- 
ther demonstrations.  "Behold,"  saith 
he,  "I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock." 
He  will  not  force  the  door ;  but  he 
is  there,  standing,  knocking!  He  is 
not  merely  willing  to  save  you,  but 
has  an  earnest,  importunate  desire  to 
save  you.  It  is  not  the  prodigal 
seeking  the  Father,  but,  greater  love 
than  that,  the  Father  seeks  the  prodi- 
gal. Instead  of  your  seeking  him, 
he  has  found  you.  The  question  is 
not,  will  the  Saviour  accept  you?  but, 
will  you  reject  the  Saviour? 

(4)  But  knocking  does  not  ex- 
haust his  efforts,  for  he  calls.  "If 
any  man  hear  my  voice."  He  has  a 
voice,  a  kind  and  pleading  voice.  He 
has  not  spoken  a  single  harsh  word 
to  you  as  he  has  stood  at  the  door 
of  your  heart.  "O  Voice  of  Love, 
how  kind  Thou  art !" 

(5)  Bear  in  mind  that  Christ  will 
never  force  the  door  of  your  heart. 
It  was  once  exclaimed  by  one  of  our 
most  eloquent  senators  that  an  Eng- 
lishman's cottage  is  his  castle.  It  is 
true.  The  winds  may  whistle  through 
every  crevice,  and  the  rains  pene- 
trate through  every  cranny,  but  into 
the  cottage  the  monarch  of  England 
dare  not  enter  against  the  cotter's 
will.  This  is  just  the  state  of  the 
case  between  Christ  and  the  human 
soul.  He  has  such  a  respect  for  the 
will  of  that  immortal  tenant  that  he 
has  placed  within  us  that  he  will 
never  force  an  entrance.  He  will  do 
everything  else ;  he  will  come,  and 
stand  and  knock,  and  call,  but  he 
will  never  force  an  entrance.  "If  any 
man  hear  my  voice  and  open  the 
door  I  will  come  in,"  etc. 

II.  The  open  door  and  Christ 
within.  "If  any  man  hear  my  voice 
and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to 
him,  and  sup  with  him,  and  he  with 
me." 

(1)  Here  is,  first,  the  promise  of 
his  divine  incoming.  He  makes  the 
unqualified  assurance  that  if  we  open 
the  door,  he  will  come  in.  There  is 
no  perhaps  or  peradventure  about  it. 
If  we  want  to  be  saved  he  will  save 
us.  If  we  open  our  hearts  he  will 
enter. 

(2)  Here   is   also   promise   of    his 


i78 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


divine  indwelling.  After  he  has  en- 
tered, if  we  cherish  his  loving  pres- 
ence, he  will  stay — dwelling  with  us, 
giving  us  an  earnest  of  the  joys  of 
life  eternal. 

This  is  all  the  more  plainly  seen 
by  his  promise  of  fellowship.  "I  will 
sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me."  He 
sits  down  with  us  as  friend  with 
friend,  as  brother  with  brother  at  a 
familiar  table.  He  talks  with  us, 
and  invites  us  to  talk  with  him.  He 
opens  the  way  for  us  to  tell  him  of 
our  sorrows  and  our  joys,  our  per- 
plexities and  our  hopes,  our  difficul- 
ties and  our  desires ;  and  then  he 
takes  of  the  things  of  the  Father 
and  shows  them  unto  us  until  the 
chamber  of  communion  glows  within 
us,  and  we  are  filled  with  light  and 
peace  and  strength  and  holy  joy. 

(3)  But  you  may  ask,  What  kind 
of  a  feast  can  I  give  for  such  a 
guest?  Fear  not  to  invite  him  in, 
for,  strange  to  say,  the  Master  brings 
his  own  provision.  He  spreads  the 
table  of  divine  satisfaction  and  of- 
fers to  you — his  fortunate  and  grate- 
ful host.  "Eat,  O  friend,"  he  ex- 
claims, "drink;  yea,  drink  abun- 
dantly." 

(4)  Maybe  you  wonder  how  you 
will  ever  be  able  to  serve  him  as  you 
ought,  if  you  do  admit  him  as 
your  Lord.  Can  you  hold  out? 
Yes,  and  just  because  the  meat  he 
gives  you  increases  strength,  your 
fellowship  with  him  drives  out  evil, 
and  he  makes  his  grace  sufficient  for 
you. 

Oh,  unsatisfied  one,  this  is  the 
kind  of  Saviour  who  is  standing  just 
outside  the  fast-barred  door  of  your 
heart.  Open  the  door  and  let  him 
in.  Swing  it  wide  open  and  invite 
him  in.  Receive  him,  welcome  him 
with  humble  gratitude.  If  you  do, 
that  seeking  One  will  prove  both 
your  Redeemer  and  Friend,  and  for 
time  and  for  eternity. — H. 

Conversion 

"Except  ye  be  converted,  and  be- 
come as  little  children,  ye  shall  not 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 
Matt.  18:3. 

There  are  three  places  in  the  New 
Testament  where  the  word  "except" 
appears  very  significantly :  Luke  13 : 
3-5  ;  John  3:3;  Matt.  18  :  3. 

I.  The  need  of  conversion.  De- 
pravity. The  need  of  conversion  is 
universal    "Ye  must  be  born  again" 


is  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  all.  With- 
out this  divine  blessing  and  power 
we  cannot  satisfy  God  for  the  past, 
please  him  for  the  present,  nor  serve 
him  in  the  future.  • 

II.  The  work  of  conversion. 
Grace.  The  work  of  conversion  is 
all  of  God.  It  is  a  spiritual  change 
wrought  in  the  heart  and  life  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  when  the  soul  believes 
in  Jesus.  Repentance  is  a  new  mind 
about  God.  Regeneration  is  a  new 
heart  from  God.  Conversion  is  a 
new  life  for  God. 

III.  The  fruit  of  conversion.  Life. 
The  fruit  of  conversion  is  seen  first 
in  the  spirit,  then  in  the  life,  and 
then  in  the  testimony  for  Jesus.  It 
will  be  the  new  spirit  of  humility, 
trust  and  obedience  like  the  little 
child. 

The  Nearness  of  God 

"Thou  art  near,  O  Lord."  Ps. 
119:151. 

I.  God  is  essentially  near.  His 
presence  is  universal.  "Do  not  I  fill 
heaven  and  earth,  saith  the  Lord?" 
"Am  I  a  God  at  hand,  and  not  afar 
off?"     "Thou  God  seest  me." 

II.  God  is  manifestly  near.  (1) 
In  creation.     (2)   In  providence. 

III.  God  is  graciously  near.  He  is 
near  through  Christ.  Near  as  a  sin- 
forgiving  God.  Near  as  a  promise- 
keeping  God.  Near  as  a  prayer- 
hearing  God.  Near  as  a  gracious, 
tender  Father.  He  is  near  to  save 
you. 

Saul  of  Tarsus  Praying 

"Behold,  he  prayeth."     Acts  9:11. 

What,  Saul  of  Tarsus  pray !  That 
blasphemer!  Does  he  pray?  Oh! 
then,  what  a  wondrous  change  must 
have  been  effected  in  his  whole  char- 
acter, thoughts,  views,  feelings,  and 
desires  !     It  is  even  so. 

Here,  then,  you  have : 

I.  An  object  of  thrilling  interest. 
A  man  in  prayer ;  the  most  interest- 
ing object  under  heaven — it  excites 
the  liveliest  interest  in  heaven  and  in 
hell.  "Behold,  he  prayeth."  Then 
the  Eternal  bends  from  his  throne  to 
listen.  Does  he  pray? — then  the  Re- 
deemer intercedes  in  his  behalf,  and 
the  cross  is  a  pledge  for  the  accept- 
ance of  his  prayers.  Does  he  pray? 
— then  the  Holy  Spirit  inspires,  ani- 
mates, dictates  his  petition,  and  pleads 
for  him,  etc.  Does  he  pray  ? — then 
'there  is  joy,''  etc. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      179 


(1)  Prayer  is  the  utterance  of  a 
right  mind. 

(2)  It  is  in  accord  with  our  situa- 
tion as  creatures.  We  are  dependent. 
Those  who  never  pray  seem  to  act 
upon  the  monstrous  supposition  that 
they  are  their  own  creator. 

(3)  It  especially  becomes  us  as 
sinners. 

(4)  It  is  the  very  element  of  the 
Christian.     "Behold,  he  prayeth." 

II.  A  circumstance  of  a  hopeful 
character. 

(1)  To  himself.  When  a  man  be- 
gins to  pray  he  begins  to  feel.  Real 
prayer  is  the  utterance  of  feeling. 
It  is  the  language  of  his  heart ;  and 
instead  of  uttering  more  than  he 
feels,  he  utters  far  less. 

When  a  man  begins  to  pray  he  be- 
gins to  yield.  His  heart  is  subdued. 
The  rebel  is  won.  Oh !  what  a  re- 
verse now !  Saul  of  Tarsus  begins 
to  say,  "Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do?" 

Faith  is  essential  to  prayer.  Does 
a  man  pray? — then  he  has  fled,  or 
is  flying,  for  refuge  to  Christ.  Did 
I  say  it  was  a  hopeful  circumstance? 
I  recall  the  word ;  he  has  risen  far 
above  that  level;  it  is  an  absolutei 
infallible  certainty;  the  salvation  of 
the  man  who  prays  in  faith  is  as 
certain  as  the  faithfulness,  the  im- 
mutability of  the  Father. 

(2)  It  is  a  hopeful  circumstance  to 
others.  To  the  family  in  which  he 
dwells.  To  the  Church  he  attends. 
To  the  world  in  which  he  lives. 

The  Constraint  of  Love 

"For  the  love  of  Christ  constrain- 
ed us."     2  Cor.  5  :  14. 

I.  Next  to  a  moral  ideal,  we  need 
a  spiritual  uplift,  a  constant  impulse 
prompting  us  to  approach  that  ideal. 
Christianity  affords  provision  for 
both  these  fundamental  needs.  In 
Jesus,  "behold  the  Man."  And  as  to 
the  motive,  the  inward  energy,  the 
power  not  ourselves  which  we  may 
make  our  own,  whose  operation  in 
our  lives  brings  us  nearer  and  nearer 
daily  to  the  mark  of  our  high  call- 
ing, is  it  not  the  love  of  Christ? 

II.  This  phrase  has  a  threefold 
meaning;  the  love  of  Christ  for  us, 
our  love  for  him,  and  his  love  in  us. 
This  it  is  that  constraineth  us. 

III.  Constraint,  however,  is  not 
coercion.  It  depends  upon  whether 
the  constraining  power  be  from  with- 
out or  from  within.    If  the  force  be 


external  we  may  resist  it,  but  if  it  be 
a  moral  energy  within  ourselves  we 
may  gladly  yield.  Hunger  constrains 
us  to  eat,  but  we  do  not  need  to  be 
driven  to  the  breakfast  table.  Love 
constrains  a  mother  to  minister  to 
her  household,  and  she  becomes  a 
willing  servant  all  her  days.  Yet  she 
is  never  so  free  as  when  she  is  serv- 
ing those  she  loves.  We  sometimes 
speak  of  being  "in  duty  bound"  to 
do  such  and  such  things.  Duty,  con- 
science, faith,  gratitude,  affection,  all 
bind  us  to  do  God's  will.  We  are 
"captive,  yet  divinely  free." — Rev. 
Charles  C.  Albertson,  D.D. 

Invitations 

"I  stand  and  knock."    Rev.  3 :  20. 

"I  came  to  call  sinners."    Luke  5  :  32. 

"Come  unto  me  and  rest."  Matt. 
11:28. 

"Come  unto  me  and  drink."  John 
7:37. 

"Come  now,  let  us  reason."  Isa. 
1:18. 

"Come  to  the  waters."    Isa.  45  :  1. 

"Come,  all  things  are  ready."  Luke 
14:17. 

"No  wise  cast  out."    John  6 :  37-47. 

"Come,  whosoever  will."  Rev.  22 : 
17. 

Christ  Waiting 

"Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and 
knock,"  etc.     Rev.  3  :  20. 

These  words  are  addressed  to  care- 
less professors.  However  applicable 
to  sinners,  they  are  not  addressed  to 
them.  These  words  produce  widely 
different  emotions.  Sorrow,  that  the 
door  is  shut.  Joy,  that  he  knocks 
and  waits.    Wonder. 

I.  What  bars  the  door?  The  17th 
ver.  answers:  (1)  Riches.  Prosper- 
ity in  the  world  too  often  makes  the 
heart  callous  to  the  voice  of  Christ. 
"If  riches  increase,"  etc.  (2)  In- 
dolence, ver.  15.  Beware  of  luke- 
warmness.  Earnest  hearts  alone,  give 
Christ  a  hearty  welcome.  (3)  Pride. 
"I  have  need  of  nothing."  Self-sat- 
isfaction is  incompatible  with  devo- 
tion. He  who  prays  aright,  prays  as 
a  pensioner. 

II.  Why  is  it  not  opened?  Is  it 
that  they  do  not  hear  his  voice? 
Have  they  no  desire  to  see  him? 
Why  is  your  heart  shut?  Is  it  not 
because  you  have  dwelling  within 
that  which  Christ  abhors ;  that  you 
are  loath  to  part  with?  Darling  sins. 
Unworthy   motives.      Sinful    desires. 


i8o 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


Oh,  let  him  in;  he  will,  he  must 
drive  out  these  polluters  of  the  Holy 
Spirit's  temple. 

III.  Who  knocks  without?  Thy 
Friend!  thy  Saviour!  thy  God!  On 
him  are  marks  of  what  he  has  borne 
for  you.  In  his  hand  are  blessings 
he  intends  for  you. 

IV.  What  is  his  errand?  (1)  He 
seeks  communion.  He  would  speak 
to  you  and  have  you  speak  to  him. 
(2)  He  seeks  refreshment.  For  him- 
self, for  you.  The  heart  when 
Christ  dwells  therein  knows  no  want. 
Here  Jesus  sees  of  the  travail  of  his 
soul,  and  is  satisfied. 

V.  Is  he  to  be  admitted?  (1)  If 
so,  it  must  be  at  once.  (2)  With  a 
hearty  welcome. 

Jesus  knocks;  listen.     Open. 

Danger  of  Delay 

More  souls  are  lost  through  delay 
than  any  other  cause. 

(1)  Choose  now.    Jos.  24:15. 

(2)  Seek  God  first.    Matt.  6  :  33. 

(3)  Delay  will  harden  your  heart. 
Heb.  3:15. 

(4)  He  is  near  you  now.  Isa.  55: 
6. 

(5)  Be  ready.    Matt.  24:44. 

Excuses 

"They  all  with  one  consent  began 
to  make  excuse."    Luke  14:18. 

I.  An  excuse  implies  guilt.  It  is 
the  acknowledgment  of  an  unper- 
formed duty,  with  a  request  for  par- 
don. Our  capacity  for  action  in  a 
life  full  of  limitations  is  such  that 
we  are  occasionally  forced  to  leave 
undone  or  defer  doing  what  we  ought 
to  do.  In  such  a  case  we  feel  justi- 
fied in  asking  to  be  excused.  But 
our  excuses  become  insults  to  the 
party  to  whom  they  are  offered  when 
we  exalt  a  minor  duty  above  a  great 
and  essential  one,  when  by  our  very 
excuses  we  minimize  the  importance 
of  the   one   thing  needful. 

II.  In  the  parable  of  the  great 
supper  earthly  interests  are  set 
against  the  divine  call  of  grace  by 
the  unwilling  guests.  Does  the  Lord, 
then,  mean  that  in  order  to  become 
Christians  we  must  let  weeds  grow 
on  our  farms,  suffer  our  cattle  to 
perish,  and  break  a  lawful  marriage 
engagement  ?  Indeed  not ;  all  these 
things  have  the  divine  approval  and 
do  not  in  themselves  conflict  with 
the  profession  and  practice  of  Chris- 
tianity.    Peter  was  engaged  in  ply- 


ing his  trade  as  a  fisherman  when  the 
Lord  asked  for  the  loan  of  his  boat, 
and  Peter  incurred  no  loss  by  sus- 
pending for  a  season  his  regular  oc- 
cupation. 

III.  Godliness  is  profitable  unto  all 
things,  and  has  the  promise  of  this 
life  and  that  which  is  to  come.  But 
foolish  shortsightedness,  carnal  in- 
difference, and  plain  aversion  to  holy 
things  make  men  misunderstand  com- 
pletely in  which  direction  their  best 
interests  lie. 

IV.  It  is  this  materialistic,  thor- 
oughly secular  spirit  that  the  Lord 
attacks  in  the  present  parable.  As  a 
servant  of  the  Lord  and  rejoicing  in 
God's  favor,  how  much  better  would 
the  farmer  have  enjoyed  his  new 
field,  the  cattle-raiser  his  oxen,  the 
newly-married  the  holy  estate  of 
matrimony !  Justly  the  Lord  of  the 
banquet  is  angry  at  such  ruthless 
contempt  of  his  gracious  overtures 
to  sinners. — D. 

Now  the  Accepted  Time 

"Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time; 
behold,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation." 
2  Cor.  6 :  2. 

I.  Repentance  ought  not  to  be  de- 
layed, when  we  consider  the  nature 
of  repentance  and  the  command  of 
God  concerning  it.  (1)  Its  nature — 
a  change  of  heart,  and  a  change  of 
life.  (2)  God's  command — distinct 
and  peremptory. 

II.  Repentance  ought  not  to  be  de- 
layed, because  delay  will  increase  its 
difficulties.  (1)  From  the  power  of 
habit,  of  sinful  habit.  (2)  From  the 
cessation  of  the  strivings  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

III.  Repentance  ought  not  to  be 
delayed,  because  circumstances  may 
occur  to  render  it  impracticable. 
(1)  There  may  be  change  of  resi- 
dence. (2)  There  may  be  loss  of 
health.  (3)  There  may  be  loss  of 
reason.  (4)  There  may  be  loss  of 
life. 

Almost   a   Christian 

"Thou  art  not  far  from  the  king- 
dom of  God."    Mark  12  :  34. 

To  the  Almost  a  Christian: 

I.    Describe  him. 

(1)  He  may  have  a  considerable 
knowledge  of  religion. 

(2)  He  may  have  strong  convic- 
tions of  sin. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      181 


(3)  He  may  have  a  good  reputa- 
tion among  men. 

(4)  He  may  have  freedom  from 
many  of  the  vices  by  which  he  was 
once  enslaved. 

(5)  He  may  have  a  liking  for  the 
public  and  private  exercises  of  devo- 
tion as  forms. 

II.    Warn  him. 

(1)  He  will  not,  in  his  present 
state,  attain  the  blessings  of  salva- 
tion. 

(2)  If  lost,  his  ruin  will  be  all 
the  greater  because  of  his  attain- 
ments. 

"Not  far  from"  is  not  "in"  the 
kingdom.  But  it  is  a  hopeful  con- 
dition, a  condition  of  present  and 
blessed  opportunity.  Enter.  Enter 
now. 

The  Great  Question 

"Dost  thou  believe  on  the  Son  of 
God?"    John  9:35. 

The  chapter  relates  the  extraordi- 
nary cure  of  the  man  born  blind. 
By  this  miracle  Jesus  declared  him- 
self to  be  the  Son  of  God  with 
power.  Great  was  the  miracle  for 
the  body — but  a  greater  miracle  was 
effected  for  the  soul. 

I.  The  object  of  faith.  "The  Son 
of  God."  His  Divinity  and  God- 
head appear  from  the  following  con- 
siderations :  From  the  express  declara- 
tions of  Scripture.  From  the  per- 
fections ascribed  to  him,  which  are 
peculiar  to  Deity.  Eternity :  "Before 
Abraham  was  I  am."  Unchangeable- 
ness ;  "Jesus  Christ,  the  same  yester- 
day," etc.  Heb.  13:8.  Almighty 
power ;  "Christ  the  power  of  God." 
1  Cor.  1 :  24.  Infinite  wisdom ; 
"Light  of  the  world ;"  "the  only  wise 
God."  Infinite  love ;  "Ye  know  the 
grace,"  etc.  2  Cor.  8 : 9.  Creation 
is  ascribed  to  him.  And  so  is  re- 
demption. From  the  works  which  he 
did.  These  could  not  have  been  done 
by  a  person  inferior  to  God.  Such 
as  searching  the  heart,  and  perceiv- 
ing what  was  in  it,  healing  the  sick 
and  raising  the  dead,  the  forgiving  of 
sins. 

II.  The  nature  of  faith.  "Dost 
thou  believe?"  It  is  not  merely  giv- 
ing credit  to  the  Scriptures.  It  is 
not  merely  confessing  the  doctrines 
of  any  particular  creed.  It  is  not 
a  mere  professing  of  faith.  Faith  is 
confidence,  trust  or  reliance  upon  the 
sacrificial  death  of  Christ  for  salva- 
tion and   everlasting  life.     It  is  the 


act  of  the  heart  by  which  we  heart- 
ily welcome  him  into  our  souls.  The 
Scriptures  figuratively  represent  this 
grace,  as  beholding  him,  or  looking 
to  him ;  it  is  coming  to  Christ,  laying 
hold  of  him,  receiving  him,  resting 
on  him,  etc. 

III.  The  effects  of  faith.  "Dost 
thou  believe  on  the  Son  of  God?" 
If  so,  the  effects  of  faith  will  be 
mental  comfort  and  satisfaction,  and 
holy  fruits,  showing  to  the  world 
that  we  are  the  subjects  of  a  very 
important  change. 

The  text  applies  personally,  "Dost 
thou  believe  on  the  Son  of  God?" 
It  does  not  relate  to  others,  but  to 
ourselves.  It  does  not  refer  to  more 
information  or  opinion,  but  to  faith. 
It  refers  not  either  to  past  or  fu- 
ture, but  to  the  present:  "Dost  thou 
believe?" 

Give  Me  Thine  Heart 

"My  son,  give  me  thine  heart." 
Prov.  23:26. 

In  this  chapter  God  is  speaking  to 
men  under  the  similitude  of  a  father 
addressing  his  son. 

I.  We  may  regard  this  request  as 
strange. 

Strange  from  a  father's  lips.  Sur- 
passingly strange  from  such  a  fa- 
ther's. What  surprise  would  fill  an 
archangel's  breast  were  he  thus  ad- 
dressed !  With  what  mingled  wonder 
and  awe  would  he  answer,  "Thou 
knowest  that  I  love  thee !"  Yet  an 
archangel  has  not  more  cause  to  love 
the  Father  than  man.  He  has  not  a 
higher  destiny  than  we  are  offered. 
He  never  received  such  a  proof  of 
love  as  we  have  in  the  gift  of  the 
Son  of  God. 

II.  We  may  regard  this  request  as 
comprehensive. 

God  requires  "the  heart,"  that  is, 
a  real  practical  love. 

(1)  Not  mere  sentiment.  Not  mere 
impulse.  Not  mere  word-love.  But 
a  love  that  implicitly  obeys.  That 
leads  us  to  delight  in  God. 

(2)  Not  merely  the  acts  of  filial 
love.  God  might  as  well  have  slaves 
as  sons  if  the  essence  of  sonship 
consisted  in  performing  certain 
works. 

III.  We  may  regard  this  request 
as  significant. 

If  God  asks  our  love,  it  is  evident 
he  already  loves  us.  We  never  ask 
those  for  their  love  who  are  dis- 
liked by  us.     Now  the  already   ex- 


182 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


isting    love    of    God    to    us    should 

be     the     pattern     of     our     love     to 

him. 
IV.   We  may  regard  this  request  as 

practicable. 

It  is  possible  to  give  the  heart  to 
God.  An  objector  may  say,  "How 
can  I  love  an  abstraction?"  We  are 
not  required.  God  is  manifest  in 
the  flesh.  If  we  give  the  heart  to 
Christ,  it  is  given  to  God.  Can  we 
not  love  Jesus,  the  Lord?  Come,  sit 
at  his  feet,  look  up  into  his  face, 
hear  his  words,  and  say,  Is  it  diffi- 
cult to  love  such  a  being? 

Strange  but  True 

"Yet  there  is  room."     Luke  14 :  22. 

"Yet  there  is  room"  reminds  us  of 
the  vacant  places  which  ought  to 
have  been  filled;  of  those  who  would 
not  come.  How  many  we  love  have 
not  entered  to  this  supper  yet !  And 
v  e  are  working  and  praying  for 
them  that  they  may  join  us.  Nor  do 
we  work  in  vain — there  is  room — we 
are  engaged  in  no  doubtful  work ;  if 
we  can  but  lead  men  to  come,  we  are 
sure  when  they  are  brought  they 
will  find  admittance  and  acceptance. 

I.  A  strange  fact. 

(1)  That  there  should  be  room  at 
such  a  supper.  The  tables  of  the 
wealthy  seldom  lack  guests. 

(2)  That  there  should  be  room 
after  such  an  invitation.  The  invi- 
tation was  to  "many."  The  invitation 
was  hearty  and  pressing.  "Come." 
"Ready."  The  invitation  was  con- 
veyed by  the  host's  own  servants. 

(3)  That  there  should  be  room 
after  such  exertions.  The  servants 
had  invited,  beside,  the  maimed,  halt, 
blind,  etc. 

II.  A  welcome  announcement. 

(1)  There  is  room,  for  such  guests. 
Those  having  no  claim.  The  way- 
farer ;  the  stranger ;  the  beggar. 

(2)  There  is  room,  though  so  many 
have  assembled.  Doubtless  many,  as 
described  in  ver.  21,  accepted  the  in- 
vitation. "Yet,"  after  such  a  gather- 
ing. 

(3)  There  is  room,  though  the  host 
has  been  so  treated.  It  is  a  marvel 
there  was  a  supper  at  all. 

III.  An  alarming  inference. 
Though  there  is,  there  will  not  al- 
ways be  room. 

The  Forgiveness  of  Sin 

"Who  can  forgive  sins  but  God 
only?"     Mark  2:  7. 


(1)  We  cannot  forgive  our  own 
sins. 

(2)  No  human  being  can  forgive 
our  sins. 

(3)  God  alone  can  forgive  our  sins. 

(4)  God  forgives  our  sins  only  for 
Christ's  sake. 

(5)  The  agency  of  Christ  in  the 
forgiveness  of  sin  proves  that  he  is 
God. 

Christ   Our    Example 

"Let  this  mind  be  in  you  which 
was  also  in  Christ  Jesus."    Phil.  2:  5. 

I.  Mind  of  Christ  Godward. 

(1)  Obedience.  In  life.  John  4: 
34.    In  suffering.    John  18:11. 

(2)  Diligent.  Mark  1 :  35  fc. ;  Luke 
2:49. 

(3)  Faithful.     Heb.  3:1,  2. 

(4)  Prayerful.  Luke  5: 16;  6: 12; 
9:28. 

(5)  Pure.    1  John  3:2,  3. 

(6)  Steadfast.    Luke  9:51. 

(7)  Spiritually  endowed.  Luke  4: 
18. 

(8)  Resigned.    Matt.  26:39. 

II.  Mind  of  Christ  manward. 

(1)  Humble.  No  reputation.  Phil. 
2:67.     Menial  service.     Matt.  11:29. 

(2)  Subject  to.  Parents.  Luke  2: 
51.  Ordinances.  Matt.  3: 13-15  ;  17: 
27. 

(3)  Ministering  to  others.  Matt. 
20 :  28. 

(4)  Sympathetic.  Matt.  11:28; 
Heb.  4 :  15. 

(5)  Self-sacrifice.  Matt.  8:20;  2 
Cor.  8 : 9. 

(6)  Compassion.  Luke  7:13;  19: 
41. 

(7)  Forbearance.  Quiet  dignity. 
Matt.  27 :  14.  Was  abused.  Luke 
23:11.     Reviled  not.     Pet.  2:23. 

(8)  Forgiving  enemies.  Luke  23: 
34;  Col.  3:13. 

(9)  Suffered  death  with  all  its  hor- 
rors, mental  and  physical.  Phil.  2 : 
8;  Isa.  53:5. 

(10)  Love.  Matt.  18:11-13;  John 
13:1,  34. 

— J.  H.  Edwards. 

Love 

I.  God's  love  to  you.  1  John  4 : 
10. 

II.  God's  love  about  you.    Jude  21. 

III.  God's  love  in  you.    Rom.  5  :  5. 

— Walter  Veazie. 

Lot's  Wife 

"Remember  Lot's  wife."  Luke  17: 
32. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      183 


I.  Remember  her  privileges.  Faith- 
fully instructed.  Related  to  one  of 
God's  chosen  ones.  Warned  of  the 
danger. 

II.  Remember  her  sin.  Presump- 
tion, unbelief,  and  act. 

III.  Remember  her  fate.  Merited, 
sudden,  and  final. 

(1)  Beware  of  earthly  entangle- 
ments. 

(2)  Beware  of  questioning  God's 
commands. 

(3)  Beware  of  delays,  for  they 
are  dangerous. 

Christians— What  Are  They? 

I.  They  are  the  children  of  God. 
Gal.  3 :  26. 

II.  They  are  forgiven.  1  John  2 : 
12. 

III.  They  are  justified.  Acts  13: 
39. 

IV.  They  are  sanctified.  1  Cor. 
1:1. 

V.  They  are  made  nigh  unto  God. 
Eph.  2 :  13. 

VI.  They  are  complete.  Col.  2 : 
10. 

VII.  They  are  kings  and  priests 
unto  God.    1  Pet.  2  :  9. 

Peter's  Fall 

Seven  steps. 

(1)  Self-confidence.  V.  35.  His 
fall  has  begun. 

(2)  Indifference.  V.  40.  He  sleeps 
amid  great  issues. 

(3)  Acts  in  the  energy  of  the 
flesh.  V.  51.  The  Lord  had  to  undo 
his  work. 

(4)  Worldly  companionship.  V. 
69  f  .c.     Identified  with  the  enemy. 

(5)  Open  denial.  V.  70.  The  first 
uttered  word. 

(6)  Bolder  denial.  V.  72.  Adds 
the  sin  of  blasphemy. 

(7)  The  flesh  has  full  sway.  V. 
74.  Sinning  without  restraint.  These 
are  the  steps  in  every  fall.  Beware 
of  the  first. 

—Rev.  H.  P.  Welton,  D.D. 

Service 

Luke  17:1-10. 

A.  Invitation — Come — Rest.  Matt. 
11:28. 

B.  Command — Go — Work.  Matt. 
28 :  19 ;  Eph.  4 :  12. 

I.    Service — 

Never  at  random.  Always  defi- 
nite. Always  in  obedience  to  a  Mas- 
ter.    Rom.  6 :  16. 


Also :  Every  act  is  service.     Luke 
11:23;  16:13. 

II.  God- 
Calls  to  service.    Acts  13 :  2. 
Fits   for  service.     Acts  1  : 8. 

III.  Not    a    means    of    Salvation. 
Matt.  5:20;   Luke   18:11,  12. 

IV.  How  rendered — 

(1)  With  zeal.    Eccl.  9:10.    Might. 

(2)  Humility.      Phil.     2:3;     Luke 
22 :  24. 

(3)' Boldness.      Heb.    13:6cf.;    1 
John  2:28;  4:17;  2  Tim.  1:  12. 
(4)  Unselfishness.      1    Cor.    10:23. 

V.  What  should  prompt  service — ■ 

(1)  Love — Desire  to  glorify  God; 

(2)  Not  desire  for  reward. 

— A.  F.  HOFFSOMMER. 

Excuses,  Hollow 

I.  The  excuse  of  unbelief.     John 
3:12. 

II.  The  excuse  of  fear.    Luke  19 : 
11-27. 

III.  The    excuse    of    procrastina- 
tion.   Acts  24 :  22-27. 

IV.  The  excuse  of  false  modesty. 
Num.  13 :  26-33. 

V.  The  excuse  of  other  business. 
Luke  14 :  16-24. 

VI.  Therefore   make    no   excuses. 
John  4:31-38. 

VII.  Will     our     excuses     stand? 
A.cts  26:19-28. 

Christians'  Conversation 

I.  When    to    speak.     Eccl.    3:7; 
[sa.  50 :  4. 

II.  How  to  speak. 

(1)  In  well  ordered  words.     Psa. 
50:23. 

(2)  Sincerely.    2  Cor.  1 :  12. 

III.  What  not  to  speak. 

(1)  The  former  conversation.    Eph. 
2:3. 

(2)  As  sinners.    1  John  4 :  5. 

(3)  In  vain   words.     1    Pet.   1 :  18. 

(4)  In  idle  words.    Matt.  12:36. 

(5)  In   filthy  words.     2  Pet.  2:7. 

(6)  Covetously.    Heb.  13  :  5. 

(7)  Evil  of  another.    Jas.  4:11. 

IV.  What  to  speak. 

(1)  Pure    words.      1    Tim.    4:12; 
1  Pet.  3:2cf.;  Eph.  5:4. 

(2)  Gospel     truth.       Phil.     1:27; 
3:20;  1  Pet.  1:15;  3:1. 

V.  To  whom  shall  we  speak? 

(1)  To  God.    Deut.  5:24;  Ex.  33: 
9. 

(2)  To  sinners.    Ezek.  33  :  8. 

VI.  About  what  shall   we   speak? 
(1)  The  Word.    Deut.  6:7. 


1 84 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


24. 


(2)  God's  righteousness.    Psa.  71 : 
\. 

(3)  God's  power.    Psa.  145:11. 

— R.  W.  Lewis. 


The  Worth  of  the  Soul 

"For  what  shall  it  profit  a  man,  if 
he  shall  gain  the  whole  world,  and 
lose  his  own  soul  ?"    Mark  8 :  36. 

I.  The  value  of  the  soul. 

(1)  Its  powers  and  capacities. 

(2)  Its  immortality. 

(3)  The  plan  of  its  redemption. 

(4)  The  conflict  it  occasions  in  the 
universe. 

II.  The  loss  of  the  soul. 

(1)  Its  nature; — the  loss,  not  of 
being,  but  of  holiness,  of  happiness, 
of  heaven,  of  hope. 

(2)  The  ways  in  which  it  may  be 
incurred  ; — through  open  infidelity, 
through  gross  vice,  through  formal 
profession,  through  sheer  careless- 
ness. 

III.  The  impossibility  of  compen- 
sating for  the  loss  of  the  soul  by 
the  gain  of  the  world. 

(1)  The  gain  is  problematical;  the 
loss  is  unavoidable. 

(2)  The  gain  is  ideal;  the  loss  is 
real. 

(3)  The  gain  is  temporary;  the 
loss  is  final  and  irretrievable. 

A  Blessed  Whosoever 

"For  whosoever  shall  call  upon  the 
name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved." 
Rom.  10:  13. 

I.  The  blessing. 

(1)  Salvation  from  guilt. 

(2)  Salvation  from  sin. 

(3)  Salvation  from  misery. 

II.  The   duty. 

(1)  Call  on  the  proper  object. 

(2)  Call  through  the  proper 
medium. 

(3)  Call  by  the  proper  aid. 

(4)  Call  with  the  proper  disposi- 
tions. 

III.  The  person. 

(1)  Of  whatsoever  nation. 

(2)  Of  whatsoever  rank. 

(3)  Of  whatsoever  age  or  sex. 

(4)  Of  whatsoever  mental  ability 
or  culture. 

(5)  Of  whatsoever  moral  char- 
acter. 

The  Soul's  Desire  for  God 

"My  soul  followeth  hard  after 
thee."    Ps.  63  :  8. 

I.  The  state  of  mind  here  de- 
picted. 


(1)  It  includes  a  persuasion  that 
God  alone  is  the  portion  of  the  soul. 

(2)  It  includes  a  choice  of  God 
as  the  portion  of  our  soul. 

(3)  It  includes  ardent  desires  after 
nearness  to  God. 

(4)  It  includes  earnest  use  of  the 
means  which  have  been  appointed  to 
bring  and  to  keep  us  near. 

II.  The  reasons  why  this  state  of 
mind  should  be  cultivated. 

(1)  It  forms  a  safeguard  against 
temptation. 

(2)  It  supplies  a  perpetual  stimu- 
lus to  devotion. 

(3)  It  imparts  an  impulse,  con- 
stantly recurring,  to  do  good  to  our 
own  souls,  and  the  souls  of  others. 

(4)  It  turns  every  religious  service 
into  a  source  of  pleasure. 

Almost  Persuaded 

"Almost  thou  persuadest  me  to  be 
a  Christian."     Acts  26:28. 

I.  What  is  it  to  be  altogether  per- 
suaded to  be  a  Christian? 

(1)  To  believe  the  Christian  re- 
ligion. 

(2)  To  profess  it. 

(3)  To  reduce  it  to  practice. 

II.  What  is  it  to  be  almost  per- 
suaded   to    be    a    Christian? 

(1)  We  may  have  clear  and  dis- 
tinct knowledge  as  to  the  way  of 
salvation   by   the  merits   of   Christ — 

(2)  We  may  be  convinced  of  the 
desirableness   of   embracing   Christ — 

(3)  We  may  have  our  feelings 
greatly  excited  with  regard  to  Christ, 
and  the  blessings  of  his  salvation — 

(4)  We  may  reform  many  of  our 
evil  habits — and  yet  be  only  almost 
persuaded  to  be  Christians. 

Joy  in  Heaven 

"Likewise,  I  say  unto  you,  There 
is  joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels 
of  God  over  one  sinner  that  repent- 
eth."    Luke  15  :  10. 

I.  The  repenting  sinner. 

(1)  He  is  convinced  of  sin. 

(2)  He  is  sorry  for  it. 

(3)  He  is  alarmed  about  its  conse- 
quences. 

(4)  He  confesses  and  renounces  it. 

II.  The  joy  felt  in  heaven  in  con- 
sequence of  his  repentance. 

(1)  The  angels  rejoice,  because  an 
immortal  being  is  delivered  from 
guilt  and  sin. 

(2)  The  angels  rejoice,  because 
the  glory  of  God  is  more  conspicu- 
ously displayed. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      185 


(3)  The  angels  rejoice,  because  ad- 
ditional evidence  is  afforded  of  the 
Redeemer's  power  to  save. 

(4)  The  angels  rejoice,  because 
they  obtain  a  fresh  companion,  and 
a  new  field  for  the  exercise  of  their 
love  and  compassion. 

The  Way,  the  Truth  and  the  Life 

"I  am  the  Way,  the  Truth  and  the 
Life."    John  14 :  6. 

I.  If  there  are  souls  to-day  like 
Thomas,  doubtful  about  whither 
Jesus  went  and  the  way  they  are  go- 
ing, Christ's  reply  ought  to  settle  all 
such  fears.  "I  am  the  Way,  the 
Truth  and  the  Life."  Jesus  inti- 
mated, "Though  I  shall  be  absent 
from  you,  I  will  be  present  in  the 
Comforter.  I  will  be  the  Way  to  the 
Father's  house.  Therefore,  follow 
me,  and  you  will  never  be  trou- 
bled. 

II.  I  am  the  Way  to  God,  for  I 
am  God.  I  am  the  Way  home,  for  I 
am  the  Home. 

III.  You  need  not  seek  a  terminus, 
but  the  eternal  Way,  for  we  are  go- 
ing on  together  forever.  There  can 
be  no  other  way,  for  "I  am  the  Truth 
and  the  Life." 

IV.  What  Jesus  said  and  did  in 
three  short  years  are  not  only  truth 
and  life,  but  he  is  all  the  unex- 
pressed, infinite  truth  and  righteous- 
ness. All  wisdom  and  knowledge 
find  their  source  in  the  fastnesses  of 
his  Godhead.  He  is  the  Doctrine 
and  the  Life,  Author  and  Lover;  his 
lips  speak  what  his  life  lives ;  his 
miracles  witness  the  truth ;  his  love 
imparts  the  truth ;  his  death  meets 
the  law  of  truth  and  justice.  He  is 
full  of  grace  and  truth ;  dwelling  in 
him  and  he  in  us,  we  realize  enough 
of  the  truth  about  the  future  life 
to  satisfy  the  soul. 

V.  Without  Christ  the  curtain 
shuts  down,  the  horizon  is  a  little 
circle ;  with  him  it  is  limitless,  ever- 
more glorious.  What  is  your  life? 
Happy  are  you  if  you  can  answer, 
"For  to  me  to  live  is  Christ;  to  die 
is  more  of  him,  to  be  going  on  with 
him  forever." — E.  W.  Caswell,  D.D. 

The  Great  Question 

"Dost  thou  believe  on  the  Son  of 
God?"    John  9:35. 

I.  The  question  and  the  circum- 
stances in  which  it  was  proposed. 

(1)  It  was  proposed  to  one  who 
was  healed  by  a  miracle — a  Jew  who 


had     opportunity     of     hearing    and 
knowing  the  Scriptures. 

(2)  It  was  proposed  by  Christ,  so- 
licitous for  the  welfare  of  a  soul. 

(3)  It  shows  a  pattern  for  minis- 
ters to  inquire  after  the  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  young  and  old. 

(4)  It  shows  that  faith  is  a  per- 
sonal and  important  thing. 

II.    The  question  itself. 

(1)  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God. 

(2)  It  is  our  duty  to  believe  in 
him. 

(3)  It  is  our  privilege  to  believe. 

(4)  We  must  believe  in  the  Son 
of  God  with  our  whole  heart. 

What  evidence  have  we  in  our- 
selves that  we  believe? 

What  evidence  do  we  give  to  those 
around  us? — C. 

"Safety  First" 

"If  any  man  will  come  after  me, 
let  him  deny  himself."     Matt.  16 :  24. 

I.  These  words  of  Jesus  do  not 
mean  occasional  acts  of  self-denial, 
temporary  fasts,  self-imposed  mo- 
ments of  hardship.  They  mean  a 
total  repudiation  of  self  as  the  ob- 
ject of  love,  an  unconditional  sur- 
render of  self  as  the  first  object  of 
consideration.  So,  no  Christian  can 
ever  adopt  the  maxim,  "Take  care  of 
Number  One" — unless  he  makes 
Christ  Number  One. 

II.  "Safety  First"  may  be  a  very 
good  motto  if  only  we  define  safety 
aright.  Whose  safety?  Certainly  not 
ours.  The  safety  of  society,  the 
safety  of  others,  the  safety  of  the 
kingdom  of  God.  He  who  puts  any- 
thing else  first  is  reversing  the  Chris- 
tian order. 

III.  Is  it  possible  to  modify  the 
tendency  of  human  nature  so  as  to 
set  up  another  personality  than  our 
own  as  "Number  One"?  Of  course 
it  is  possible.  When  a  man  marries, 
if  he  have  a  worthy  idea  of  mar- 
riage, he  shifts  his  loyalty  from  his 
own  personality  to  that  of  another. 
Every  mother  knows  this  experience. 
The  whole  philosophy  of  selfishness 
is  shattered  by  the  first  sight  of  a 
baby's  face,  nay,  by  the  first  thought 
of  the  little  life,  so  helpless,  so  de- 
pendent, yet  so  divine. 

IV.  This  is  the  program  of  the 
Christian  life;  Self  dethroned,  Christ 
enthroned,  and  then  the  adoption  by 
us  of  Christ's  own  standard  of  val- 
ues. We  must  care  for  the  things 
he   cared   for.     We   must   make   su- 


i86 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


preme  the  things  which  he  made  su- 
preme.— Rev.  Charles  C.  Albertson, 
D.D. 

The  Power  of  Choice 

"Entreat  me  not  to  leave  thee." 
Ruth  1 :  16. 

Ruth,  the  loving  daughter,  clings 
to  her  mother-in-law  Naomi  because 
she  is  fascinated  and  charmed  with  a 
holy  affection  for  the  God  of  heaven 
and  the  people  of  his  kingdom,  whom 
Naomi  has  so  devotedly  represented 
in  her  life.  Though  a  Moabitess,  she 
forsook  her  own  people  for  the  wor- 
ship of  the  God  of  Israel.  She  was 
called  out  of  the  Gentile  world  to 
enter  the  line  of  Christ's  ancestry. 
Ruth  and  Naomi  are  thus  united  to 
each  other  closer  than  by  family  ties, 
becoming  devoted  lovers,  like  David 
and  Jonathan. 

When  Boaz  married  Ruth,  Naomi 
found  a  home  for  herself  with  the 
wealthy  farmer.  They  are  happy 
again  together  in  one  family.  The 
baby,  Obed,  is  to  become  the  father 
of  Jesse,  and  Jesse  the  father  of 
King  David,  and  Ruth  becomes  the 
ancestress  of  Christ;  so  that  through 
her  act  of  self-denial  and  devotion 
all  the  families  of  the  earth  are 
blessed. 

I.  How  little  we  understand  of  the 
immense  significance  of  a  single,  ap- 
parently unimportant  decision.  By 
Ruth's  saying,  "Thy  people  shall  be 
my  people  and  thy  God  my  God," 
unspeakable  joys  came  upon  her  own 
spirit  and  a  world  of  wealth  to  pos- 
terity. Is  it  not  so  when  we  leave 
the  company  of  evil  persons  and  unite 
ourselves  to  the  children  of  God? 
Think  of  the  heirship  to  the  wealth 
of  heaven,  of  the  citizenship  of  the 
saints  in  light.  Let  us  then  come  out 
from  the  kingdom  of  darkness  into 
the  kingdom  of  Christ. 

II.  Is  not  the  power  of  choice,  next 
to  the  glory  of  existence,  the  greatest 
blessing  heaven  has  conferred  upon 
mortals?  Every  soul  stands  at  the 
parting  of  the  way,  going  upward  or 
downward.  How  long  halt  we  when 
we  know  the  immense  interests  hang- 
ing in  the  balance  of  decision ! — Rev. 
E.  W.  Caswell,  D.D. 

Divine  Love 

"Even  so  it  is  not  the  will  of  your 
Father  which  is  in  heaven,  that  one 
of  these  little  ones  should  perish." 
Matt  18:14. 


(1)  The  Father's  Will.  "It  is  not 
the  will  of  your  Father." 

(2)  The  Saviour's  Love.  He 
yearns  for  the  little  ones'  safety. 

(3)  The  Holy  Spirit's  Word.  He 
has  written  it. 

(4)  The  Source  of  Joy.  The  Sal- 
vation of  the  Children. 

(5)  The  Light  of  Hope.  Not  one 
shall  perish. 

Plenty  of  Room 
"Yet  there  is  room."    Luke  14:22. 

I.  Where?  At  the  table,  in  the 
house,  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
With  the  King,  Jesus  himself,  with 
his  guests,  his  people,  at  his  table; 
in  his  large  expansive  heaven. 

II.  For  whom?  For  every  sin- 
cere, penitent  soul.  If  you  deem 
yourself  too  great  a  sinner,  read  this 
parable  and  notice  how  the  lame,  the 
halt,  the  blind,  the  beggars,  were  in- 
vited to  the  feast.  If  you  sincerely 
wish  to  be  saved  from  your  sins 
through  Christ,  if  that  is  your  eager 
desire,  there  is  yet  room  for  you ! 

III.  How  long  yet?  "Yet  there  is 
room,"  that  is  now !  Yet,  after  so 
many  refusals?  Yes.  There  is  an 
invitation  now.  Accept  it,  now. 
"Now  is  the  accepted  time."  "To- 
day is  the  day  of  salvation." 

But  also  be  admonished  by  that 
little  word  "yet."  To-day  yet!  Yes. 
But  to-morrow  perhaps  it  may  be  too 
late.  Come  now.  "Yet  there  is 
room." 

The  Water  of  Life 

"And  whosoever  will,  let  him  come 
and  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely." 
Rev.  22:17. 

I.  Survey  the  beautiful  language  as 
it  regards  the  gospel  of  Christ — "the 
Water  of  Life." 

(1)  As  to  the  persons  to  whom  it 
is  addressed. 

(2)  The  source  from  which  it 
springs. 

(3)  Its  vivifying  and  resuscitating 
influence. 

II.  The  freedom  with  which  it  is 
bestowed  and  with  which  it  should 
be  received.     "Freely." 

III.  The  unlimited  extent  to  which 
it  is  addressed.  "Whosoever  will." 
None  who  come  will  be  denied. — R. 

At  the  Door 

"Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door,  and 
knock;  if  any  man  hear  my  voice, 
and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      187 


him,  arid  will  sup  with  him,  and  he 
with  me."     Rev.  3  :  20. 

(1)  The  door  of  our  heart  is  shut 
against  Christ. 

(2)  Christ  is  seeking  earnestly  and 
importunately  to  gain  admission  into 
our  heart. 

(3)  We  ought  to  throw  open  the 
door  of  our  heart  for  the  reception 
of  Christ. 

(4)  If  we  throw  open  the  door  of 
our  heart,  he  will  honor  us  with  en- 
dearing and  friendly  intercourse. 

Price   of   Redemption 

"For  ye  are  bought  with  a  price." 
1  Cor.  6 :  20. 

I.  "Jesus  paid  it  all"  is  welcome 
news  to  insolvent  debtors.  When  we 
were  slaves  to  sin,  he  purchased  our 
pardon.  When  we  were  stained  with 
guilt,  he  opened  the  fountain  of 
cleansing.  Wanderers  in  a  far  coun- 
try, he  himself  became  our  way 
home ;  yea,  he  walks  with  us  in  sweet 
companionship  and  blessed  guidance. 

II.  What  can  we  do  for  him  who 
bankrupted  himself,  became  poor  that 
we  through  his  poverty  might  be- 
come rich !  Shall  we  despise  our 
benefactor,  refuse  his  gifts,  deny  his 
loving  kindness,  reject  his  offer  of 
liberty?  Such  ingratitude  would  be 
indescribable  folly.  What  child  could 
thus  push  aside  the  mother  who  bore 
him,  loved  and  reared  him,  and  ever 
watched  over  him?  But  a  mother 
may  forget  her  child — he  will  not 
forget  thee. 

"I  gave  my  life  for  thee; 
What  hast  thou  given  for  me?" 

III.  We  have  peace  by  his  blood, 
ransom  by  his  cross,  heaven  by  his 
love.  Your  freedom  is  purchased, 
but  alas,  you  may  love  slavery  better 
than  freedom,  the  serfdom  of  Egypt 
better  than  the  glory  of  Canaan,  the 
bondage  of  Satan  better  than  the  lib- 
erty of  the  sons  of  God. 

Well  may  we  exclaim,  "Blessed 
Jesus,  who  bore  our  sins,  carried  our 
sorrows,  was  touched  with  the  feel- 
ings of  our  infirmities,  endured  the 
cross  for  us,  was  glad  to  pay  the 
price  of  our  redemption  _  that  we 
might  live  unto  him  and  with  him  in 
the  everlasting  life !" — C. 

The   Supreme   Question 

"What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?" 
Acts  16 :  30. 


This  question  implies : 

(1)  The  fact  that  man  is  lost. 
"What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?" 

(2)  That  something  must  be  done 
to  be  saved.  "What  must  I  do  to 
be  saved?" 

(3)  That  this  something  to  be  done 
is  imperative.  "What  must  I  do  to 
be  saved?" 

(4)  That  the  penitent  soul  is  will- 
ing to  do  anything  to  be  saved. 
"What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?" 

(5)  That  salvation  is  a  personal 
matter.  "What  must  I  do  to  be 
saved?" 

Christ  Knocking  at  the  Heart 

"Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door,  and 
knock ;  if  any  man  hear  my  voice, 
and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to 
him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he 
with  me."     Rev.  3 :  20. 

I.  The  Gospel  call.  The  scene  in- 
troduced is  Christ  knocking  at  the 
door  of  our  hearts  for  an  entrance. 
The  human  heart  is  considered  as  a 
house.  It  was  intended  for  God. 
The  door  of  the  heart  is  the  faculty 
of  the  will ;  and  it  is  not  sufficient 
that  our  judgment  approves  and  our 
conscience  warns,  the  will  must  con- 
sent before  we  can  be  saved. 

II.  The  Gospel  duty.  "If  any  man 
hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door." 
To  knock  is  the  Saviour's  part ;  to 
open  is  ours.  Christ  will  perform 
his  work.  Let  us  perform  our  duty. 
If  Christ  never  knocked,  the  will 
would  never  open.  It  is  in  conse- 
quence of  the  merits  of  Christ  that 
light  is  come  into  the  world.  The  will 
is  not  to  be  coerced ;  it  may  yield  to 
the  power  of  suasive  reasons. 

The  call  is  to  you  now ;  we  have 
nothing  to  do  with  to-morrow. 

To  open  the  door  is  to  submit  to 
the  Gospel  method.  But  this  requires 
fixed  attention.  Hence  listening  to 
the  voice  of  Christ  is  necessary.  At- 
tend  unto  his  call. 

The  claims  of  gratitude,  and  regard 
to  our  present  and  everlasting  happi- 
ness. 

III.  The  Gospel  promise.  The 
blessings  of  the  Gospel  are  intro- 
duced to  us  under  various  simili- 
tudes ;  here  called  a  supper. 

(1)  He  that  admits  Christ  into  his 
heart  shall  feast  on  his  pardoning 
love.  His  sins  shall  be  remembered 
no  more. 

(2)  Christ  will  bring  with  him 
peace  and  holiness. 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


(3)  You  shall  have  fellowship  with 
the  saints  at  the  table  of  the  Lord, 
in  the  house  of  God,  in  social 
prayer,  etc. 

(4)  If  faithful,  you  shall  feast 
with  Christ  in  a  better  world.  By 
admitting  Christ,  heaven  is  open  unto 
you. 

Christ's   Messages 

"And  when  she  had  so  said,  she 
went  her  way,  and  called  Alary  her 
sister,  secretly ;  saying,  The  Master 
is  come  and  calleth  for  thee.  As 
soon  as  she  heard  that,  she  arose 
quickly  and  came  unto  him."  John 
11:28,  29. 

Bethany  is  the  next  spot  we  should 
visit  after  Calvary.  Calvary  cries  to 
all  the  world,  "Look  on  me !"  Beth- 
any cries  to  all  the  lookers,  "Lean  on 
me !"  Here  we  find  how  he  regards 
those  he  has  saved.  How  he  treats 
the  sorrowful,  the  learner,  the  over- 
careful.  In  this  particular  instance 
we  may  learn : 

I.  The  character  of  Christ's  mes- 
sages to  his  friends.  "He  calleth  for 
thee,"  that  is,  he  desires  to  see  you. 

(1)  Its  benignity.  No  stern  com- 
mand.    He  rules  by  love. 

(2)  Its  authority.  "The  Master  is 
come."  Christ's  presence  gives 
weight  to  his  message. 

(3)  Its  personality.     "For  thee!" 

(4)  Its  suitability.  Mary's  heart 
was  well-nigh  broken ;  what  was 
more  likely  to  cheer  her? 

II.  We  learn  the  best  way  to  con- 
vey his  messages.  He  chose  the  most 
desirable  messenger,  one  who  loved 
both  himself  and  Mary.  So  the  Gos- 
pel message  is  best  borne  by  lovers 
of  Jesus  and  souls. 

(1)  Without  ostentation.  "Se- 
cretly." No  parade,  no  assumption 
of  dignity. 

_  (2)  Prudently.  "Secretly."  Pub- 
licity might  have  defeated  the  Lord's 
end  in  this  case.  There  are  cases 
when  great  prudence  needs  to  be 
blended  with  our  zeal  or  else  we 
miss  our  aim. 

(3)  Plainly.  Rhetoric  sometimes, 
like  a  too  great  profusion  of  flowers 
in  a  garland,  obscures  the  face  it  is 
meant  to  adorn. 

III.  How  Christ's  messages  are 
treated  by  his  friends. 

(1)  She  listened  to  it.  "Of 
course,"  you  say.  But  do  we  always? 
are  not  our  ears  often  deaf  to  his 
calls? 


(2)  She  was  influenced  by  it.  She 
invented  no  excuse ;  she  might  have 
easily ;  but  she  obeyed. 

(3)  She  obeyed  at  once.  You 
obey.    Do  it  at  once. 

Acquaintance    With    God 

"Acquaint  now  thyself  with  him, 
and  be  at  peace,  thereby  good  shall 
come  unto  thee."    Job  22 :  21. 

I.  What  is  implied  in  this  ac- 
quaintance ? 

(1)  Knowledge. 

(2)  Love. 

(3)  Enjoyment. 

(4)  Intercourse. 

II.  The  means  for  attaining  it: 

(1)  The  Word. 

(2)  The   Spirit's  influence. 

(3)  Prayer. 

(4)  Faith  in  Christ. 

III.  The  time  to  commence  it — 
"Now." 

(1)  It  is  God's  time. 

(2)  It  is  the  only  certain  time. 

IV.  The  blessed  result  of  it : 

(1)  Peace. 

(2)  Good. 

Godliness  Profitable 

"Godliness  is  profitable  unto  all 
things."  1  Tim.  4:8. 

I.  The  nature  of  Godliness. 

(1)  It  consists  in  loving  God.  Not 
a  cold  indifferent  respect,  nor  a  wild 
enthusiasm. 

(2)  Serving  God.  Directly.  As 
Nehemiah  when  he  built  the  wall. 
Paul  in  preaching.  Indirectly.  Nehe- 
miah when  he  acted  as  cup-bearer. 
Paul  when  making  tents. 

(3)  Honoring  God. 

II.  The  profit  of  godliness. 

(1)  Temporally. 

(2)  Spiritually;  supporting  under 
afflictions,  and  opening  sources  of 
joy. 

(3)  Eternally.— W.  R. 

Dedication  to  God 

"I  beseech  you  therefore,  brethren, 
by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  pre- 
sent your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice, 
holy,  acceptable  to  God,  which  is  your 
reasonable  service."     Rom.   12 : 1. 

I.  The  nature  of  the  sacrifice  to  be 
offered. 

(1)  Its  special  character — the  whole 
man,  body,  soul,  and  spirit. 

(2)  Its  properties — living,  holy,  ac- 
ceptable, i.e.,  spiritual,  conformed  to 
divine  appointment. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      189 


II.  The  means  by  which  he  urges 
them  to  comply. 

(1)  He  employs  great  tenderness. 

(2)  He  manifests  much  paternal 
affection. 

(3)  He  urges  the  beneficence  of 
God. 

(4)  He  urges  the  reasonableness 
of  the  duty.  Because  God  has  a 
right  to  demand  it.  Christ  expects 
it.  The  world  looks  for  it.  It  is 
reasonable  in  itself.  Wise  and  safe. 
Rational  that  a  man  should  live  to 
God.— G.  O. 

The  Conversion  of  Lydia 
Acts  16 :  14,  15,  40. 

I.  She  was  in  the  way  of  Good ; 
"The  place  where  prayer  was  wont 
to  be  made." 

II.  With  open  heart:  "Whose 
heart  the  Lord  opened,"  but,  no 
doubt,  she,  too,  was  active  in  main- 
taining the  attitude  of  readiness  to 
receive.  The  Holy  Ghost  is  always 
in  advance  of  us  when  we  are  try- 
ing to   find   our  way. 

III.  With  open  mind:  She  "at- 
tended unto"  what  the  apostle  told 
her.  Therefore,  the  Holy  Spirit 
could  continue  his  work.  "The  Spirit 
cannot  serve  as  a  reminder  to  a 
vacuum." 

IV.  Open  mind  brought  open 
mouth.  She  instantly  made  public 
acknowledgment  of  Christ — was  bap- 
tized— started  in  the  first  path  of 
duty. 

V.  Open  hand  and  open  house : 
"Come  into  my  house  and  abide." 
She  instantly  put  her  life  and  pos- 
sessions at  the  disposal  of  Christ. 

Learn  household  religion. 

Learn  Christian  hospitality. 

From  this  "first  convert  in  Eu- 
rope" learn  to  practice  openness  of 
heart,  mind,  mouth,  hand,  house. — 
Rev.  T.  S.  Henderson,  D.D. 

Conversion  of  the  Jailer 

Acts   16:16-34. 

I.  What  does  it  teach  about  sud- 
den conversions  ? 

II.  Is  conversion  ever  accomplished 
with  violent  emotions? 

III.  Did  the  jailer  wait  to  mend 
himself  morally  first? 

IV.  What  was  his  sense  of  need? 

V.  What  is  the  condition  of  sal- 
vation? 

VI.  What  is  the  condition  of 
church   membership? 


VII.  How  soon  ought  you  to  join 
the  Church? 

VIII.  What  evidences  of  regenera^ 
tion  did  the  jailer  show? — Rev.  T.  S. 
Henderson,  D.D. 

Jesus'   Love 

"Unto  him  that  loved  us,  and 
washed  us  from  our  sin  in  his  own 
blood."     Rev.   1  :  5. 

I.  Jesus  is  the  infinite  Lover;  he 
loved,  he  loveth,  he  will  love  forever 
more.  He  loveth  enough  to  die  for 
us  that  he  might  loose  us  from  our 
sins  by  his  precious  blood. 

All  the  disciples  of  Jesus  had 
passed  away  but  John,  the  one  whom 
Jesus  loved  with  a  special  affection. 
John,  on  the  lonely  island  of  Patmos, 
in  banishment,  believed  that  the  Sa- 
viour loved  him  still ;  and  hile  he 
believed,  Christ  himself  appeared 
unto  him,  and  told  him  to  write  the 
things  "which  thou  hast  seen  and  the 
things  which  shall  be  hereafter." 

II.  In  writing  the  Saviour's  warn- 
ings to  the  seven  churches,  the  climax 
of  his  words  to  each  one  was,  "He 
loveth  us  still."  Although  you  have 
fallen  away  from  your  first  love,  he 
hath  come  from  heaven  to  earth 
again  to  bid  you  come,  to  win  you 
to  his  embrace.  You,  who  have  loved 
the  world  of  lust,  of  passion,  of 
drink,  of  gold,  of  power,  of  all  sin- 
ful pleasure — hear  me,  my  fallen  chil- 
dren :  He  loveth  us  still !  Return, 
ye  wanderers,  return,  and  help  to 
sing  the  everlasting  song,  "Unto  him 
be  glory  and  dominion  and  power 
forever  and  ever." 

The  Friend  of  Sinners 

"This  man  receiveth  sinners." 
Luke   15:2. 

This  is  the  Pharisees'  taunt  at  the 
merciful   ministry  of   Jesus. 

I.  What  would  they  have  done 
with  sinners?  They  would  have  cast 
them  out  from  their  holy  society  and 
prided  themselves  on  that  as  a  most 
worthy  action.  There  is  nothing  so 
cruel  as  man's  inhumanity  to  man. 
Many  a  sinner  has  been  driven  to 
final  despair  by  the  scorn  and  con- 
tempt which  his  brethren  heaped 
upon  him.  Now,  what  would-be 
righteous  men  sneer  at  is  the  very 
essence  of   the   Gospel. 

II.  It  is  this  message,  that  Jesus 
receives  sinners  that  has  lifted  many 
a  wretch  out  of  his  misery  and  made 
him  a  new  man.     Every  humble  soul 


190 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


that  has  come  repentant  to  the  Friend 
of  sinners  remembers  to  the  end  of 
his  life  the  solace  that  came  into  his 
heart  when  he  heard  these  words : 
There  is  a  place  for  you  at  Jesus' 
side.  He  is  shocked  at  hearing  men 
speak  disdainfully  of  that  mercy 
which  gave  him  the  assurance  that 
his  guilt  has  been  removed,  which 
lifted  the  gloom  from  his  aching 
conscience  and  filled  his  heart  with 
the  joy  of  salvation.  We  who  have 
cast  ourselves  on  the  mercy  of  Jesus 
and  trust  only  in  his  grace  think 
very  highly  of  this  opprobrium  which 
was  cast  on  his  ministry.  Though 
our  sins  are  red  like  crimson  and 
numberless  as  the  sands  upon  the 
seashore,  we  know  that  the  mercy 
of  God  is  greater  still.  And  we  are 
sure  that  God  who  spared  not  his 
own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for 
us  all,  will  freely  give  us  all  other 
things  which  are  necessary  to  stay 
our  misery.  We  rejoice  in  the  con- 
descension at  which  men  who  do  not 
realize  the  bane  and  terror  of  an 
evil  conscience  mock.  We  glory  in 
the  pity  of  our  heavenly  Father  who 
removes  our  transgressions  from  us, 
as  far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west. 
III.  We  love  this  divine  Friend 
who  does  not  think  himself  too  good 
to  associate  with  us,  to  call  us  his 
brethren,  and  to  lend  us  his  all- 
powerful  aid,  that  after  our  worthless 
life  we  may  begin  life  over  again 
in  his  companionship  and  under  his 
guidance. — D. 

See! 

"See  that  ye  refuse  not  him  that 
speaketh." — Hebrews  12  :  25. 

There  are  three  leading  thoughts 
that  suggest  themselves  in  connec- 
tion with  these  words.  Give  them  in 
the  order  in  which  they  present 
themselves. 

I.  The  Speaker.  Why  should  he 
be  hearkened  to  by  us  attentively, 
reverently,  and  obediently? 

(1)  His  exalted  dignity.  The 
parable  of  the  wicked  husbandman. 
"I  will  send  My  Son."  "God,  who, 
at  sundry  times,"  etc. 

(2)  The  importance  of  his  mes- 
sage. It  tells  of  a  deliverance  from 
sin,  sorrow  and  death  for  all  who 
will  believe.  The  imprisoned  miners, 
how  they  guarded  their  light ;  the  res- 
cuers' light.  This  Gospel  is  man's 
only  light  here. 

(3)  The  spirit  that  moves  him  to 


speak.  If  a  man  is  my  friend,  he 
may  tell  me  plain  truths  without 
offense.  How  can  anybody  doubt 
Christ's  interest  in  his  welfare? 

II.  The  Refusal.  What  constitutes 
a  refusal  in  the  sense  of  the  text? 

(1)  Not  to  listen  to  the  speaker  is 
a  refusal.  What  the  Jews  said  to 
Moses.  What  followed;  didn't  want 
to  hear.  Oh,  the  multitudes  that 
can't  hear!  But  oh,  the  multitudes 
that  won't  hear ! 

(2)  To  object  to  the  claims  of  his 
message,  etc.  When  a  man  says,  "I 
don't  see  the  need  of  Christ  as  a 
Saviour !"  "I  won't  surrender  my- 
self !"  "I  am  as  good  as  some  pro- 
fessing  Christians !" 

(3)  To  delay  obedience  thereto,  etc. 
"Not  now!"  Poor  deluded  one! 
God  says,  "Remember  now,"  etc. 

III.  The  Warning.  "See."  etc. 
"The  uplifted  warning  finger."  "No 
escape." 

A   Marvelous  Magnet 

"I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,"  etc.  John 
12 :  32. 

(1)  Attractive  force  lies  in  a  cru- 
cified Saviour. 

(2)  To  himself  draws  all  men. 
Force  is  love,  promise  of  rest. 

(3)  This  force  is  exercised  through 
the  Holy  Spirit,  but  he  uses  instru- 
ments. Draws  gradually,  gently,  and 
effectually. 

(4)  This  implies  man  by  nature 
is  a  long  way  off. 

(5)  Men  will  not  come  to  him  un- 
less he  draws  them.  Are  you  com- 
ing?    Come  and  welcome. 

The  Obedience  Test 

"If  ye  love  me,  keep  my  command- 
ments."    John   14 :  14. 

The  true  test  of  love  to  Christ — ' 
obedience. 

I.  It  is  the  test  which  the  Bible 
prescribes. 

II.  It  is  the  test  which  reason  sanc- 
tions. 

III.  It  is  the  test  to  which  the  re- 
newed heart  responds. 

IV.  It  is  the  test  which  experience 
ratifies. 

V.  It  is  the  test  which  supersedes 
all  others. 

Three   Great   Questions 

I.  What  have  I  done? — The  care- 
less sinner.     Jer.  8  :  6. 

II.  What  must  I  do? — The  anxious 
sinner.     Acts  16 :  20. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      191 


III.  What  shall  I  do?— The  unde- 
cided sinner.     Matt.  27 :  22. 

These  tell  the  progress  of  a  soul 
from  indifference  to  anxiety,  then  to 
decision  for,  or  against  Christ. 

The  Calls  of  Christ 

(1)  Follow  Me.    John  1:43. 

(2)  Come  to  Me.     Matt.  11:28. 

(3)  Learn  of  Me.    Matt.  11  :  29. 

(4)  Abide  in  Me.  John  15 :  4. — 
Robert  E.  Speer. 

Christ  Our  Keeper 

I.  Kept  by  his  power.  1  Peter 
1:5. 

II.  Kept    from    falling.      Jude   24. 

III.  Kept  from  all  evil.  2  Thess. 
3:3. 

IV.  Kept  in  peace.    Isaiah  26 :  3. 

V.  Kept  as  the  apple  of  his  eye. 
Deut.  32:10. 

VI.  Kept  from  the  temptation. 
Rev.  3 :  10. 

VII.  Kept  for  eternal  glory.  John 
17:12. 

Progress  in  Grace 

I.  Saved  by  grace.     Eph.  2 : 9. 

II.  Standing  in  grace.    Rom.  5  :  21. 

III.  Taught  by  grace.    Titus  2  :  12. 
IV   Growing    in    grace.      2    Peter 

3:18. 

V.  Speaking  in  grace.     Col.   4 : 6. 

VI.  Ministering  grace.  1  Pet. 
4:10. 

Ways  of  Knocking 

1  Thess.  5:17. 

"Pray  without  ceasing"  is  a  Di- 
vine precept,  and  constant  need  re- 
quires constant  help.  Asking,  Seek- 
ing, and  Knocking  are  three  special 
features  of  real  prayer.  Asking  is 
the  simplicity  of  prayer,  and  Knock- 
ing is  the  importunity  of  prayer. 
Prayer  should  be  the  key  of  the  day, 
and  the  lock  of  the  night.  "Knock 
and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you,*'  is 
the  promise  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Him- 
self. There  are  three  Knocks  all 
should  avoid — 

(1)  The  Timid  Knock.  Want  of 
faith.    James  1 :  6. 

(2)  The  Runaway  Knock.  Want 
of  patience.     Ps.  40 : 1. 

_  (3)  The  Late  Knock  Want  of 
time.     Luke   13  :  25. 

There  are  five  proper  ways  of 
Knocking — 

(1)  Knock  Early.  Whilst  you  are 
young.     Ps.  5:3. 


(2)  Knock  Earnestly.  With  all 
your  heart.    James  5  :  17,  18. 

(3)  Knock  Distinctly.  With  sim- 
ple words.     Matt.  7 :  7. 

(4)  Knock  Repeatedly.  With  im- 
portunity.    1  Thess.  5  :  17. 

(5)  Knock  Expectantly.  With  pa- 
tient waiting.     Ps.  27  :  4. 

A  little  girl,  about  four  years  of 
age,  being  asked,  "Why  do  you  pray 
to  God?"  replied,  "Because  I  know 
he  hears  me,  and  I  love  to  pray  to 
him."  "But,  how  do  you  know  he 
hears  you?"  was  the  further  inquiry. 
Putting  her  little  hand  to  her  heart, 
she  said  ,"I  know  he  does,  because 
there  is  something  here  that  tells  me 
so." — Rev.  C.  Edwards. 

Making  Excuse 

"And  they  all,  with  one  consent, 
began  to  make  excuse."     Luke  14 :  1. 

I.  Notice  the  provision  made — "All 
things  are  now  ready." 

(1)  On  earth.  Redemption  pro- 
vided— promise  recorded — Holy  Spirit 
prepared  to  sanctify. 

(2)  In  heaven.     Glory  secured. 

II.  The  invitation  addressed. 
"Come." 

(1)  Who  are  bid  to  come?  All 
to  whom  God  sends  the  message.  A 
great   privilege. 

(2)  What  does  it  invite  us  to  do? 
Not  to  prepare  a  feast,  but  to  come 
to  one  already  provided  and  receive 
it  as  a  blessing  to  be  desired. 

III.  The  conduct  too  generally 
pursued.     "To  make  excuse." 

(1)  The  Jews.  Did  not  find  in 
him  what  they  expected  in  the  Mes- 
siah. 

(2)  The  Gentiles.  Did  not  like  the 
want  of  philosophy  in  the  gospel; 
and  esteemed  it  foolishness. 

(3)  The  world.  Men  of  the  world 
are  too  busy  to  give  religion  serious  i 
thought.  ' 

4.  The  young  and  the  frivolous. 
It  forbids  their  pleasures. 

5.  The  middle-aged,  etc.  Have  too 
many  cares  and  troubles  to  attend 
to  it. 

Then,  if  we  fail  to  find  mercy  at 
last,  it  will  not  be  God's  fault.  He 
has  provided  and  invited,  but  we 
have  neglected.  What  a  mercy  that 
the  invitation  still  says,  "Come." 

Divine  Riches 

I.  Riches  of  mercy.    Eph.  2 : 4. 

II.  Riches  of  grace.    Eph.  1 :  7. 


192 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


III.  Riches  of  goodness.  Rom. 
2:4. 

IV.  Riches  of  glory.     Phil.  4:10. 

V.  Riches  of  God.    Rom.  11 :  33. 
There  is  a  mine  of  wealth  in  these 

few  passages  of  Scripture. 

Jesus  the  Emancipator 

"Behold,  thy  King  cometh  unto 
thee."     Zech.  9:9-17. 

This  stream  of  exalted  prediction, 
sweet  as  the  refrain  of  an  angel's 
hymn,  was  fulfilled  when,  in  lowly 
triumph,  Jesus  entered  Jersualem  at 
the  beginning  of  the  week  in  which 
he  died.  See  Matt.  21:5.  What 
contrasts  meet  in  the  prophet's 
words ! 

I.  Jesus  is  King — first  King  and 
then  Saviour.  The  King  who  saves 
is  lowly,  his  steed  is  not  the  richly 
caparisoned  war-horse-,  but  the  hum- 
ble ass.  Unlike  earthly  monarch,  he 
needs  neither  chariot  nor  battle-bow 
for  the  overthrow  of  his  foes,  but 
speaks  peace  to  the  nations ;  as 
though  waving  his  hand  in  priestly 
benediction  over  the  troubled  waters, 
and  lo,  there  is  a  great  calm.  If  we 
would  be  truly  saved  by  Jesus,  he 
must  be  the  enthroned  King  of  our 
hearts,  and  enter  in  lowly  triumph 
over  our  wills. 

II.  When  this  has  taken  place,  the 
prisoners  are  emancipated  from  their 
prisons.  In  Eastern  lands,  liable  to 
long  spells  of  drought,  it  is  customary 
to  hew  cisterns  out  of  the  solid  rock 
for  water-storage.  When  these  were 
empty  they  provided  useful  retreats 
or  hiding-places.  The  terrified  peas- 
antry would  shelter  there  when  the 
enemy  was  scouring  the  country.  Are 
there  not  many  of  God's  people  in 
a  similar  plight?  They  are  caught 
in  the  snares  and  toils  of  malignant 
foes,  or  led  captive  by  the  devil  at 
his  will,  or  are  in  deep  despondency, 
or  are  imprisoned  by  adverse  cir- 
cumstances. Yet  they  are  prisoners 
of  hope.  There  is  a  sure  and  certain 
hope  of  their  deliverance.  They  shall 
ultimately  emerge  from  their  prisons, 
as  Peter  did,  led  by  the  angel.  God 
has  entered  into  covenant  relationship 
with  them.  And  because  of  the  blood 
of  the  everlasting  covenant  he  will 
remember  them  and  emancipate  them 
from  their  thraldom.  Wherever  they 
are,  and  however  thick-ribbed  the 
walls  of  their  prison,  their  Saviour- 
King  will  come  to  their  rescue.  God 
declares   that   to-day   he   will   render 


double  all  his  past  love. — Rev.  F.  B. 
Meyer,  D.D. 

The  Pentecostal  Gift 

"Ye  shall  receive  power."  Acts 
1:8. 

Power  to  make  the  mountains  of 
sin  flow  away  into  the  sea  of  forget- 
fulness.  Power  to  level  the  little 
hills  of  self  till  the  soul  is  one  beau- 
tiful plain  of  harmony  and  fruitful- 
ness.  Power  to  cut  a  channel  for  the 
river  of  life  and  peace,  ever  flowing 
through  this  garden  of  the  Lord. 
Power  to  wash  your  spirit  whiter 
than  the  snow,  like  the  purity  of 
Paradise,  where  birds  sing,  flowers 
grow  and  hope  eternal  springs  from 
the  soil  of  the  soul. 

The  very  atmosphere  of  this  life- 
giving  power  is  restful,  luminous  with 
the  light  of  the  sun  of  righteousness. 
All  the  glory  and  joy  of  the  first 
Eden  is  re-created  where  sin  once 
abounded.  "All  power  belongeth  unto 
God."  "All  power  in  heaven  and 
in  earth  is  given  unto  me,"  says 
Jesus,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  on  Pen- 
tecost transmitted  this  power  of  deity 
to  the  early  church.  Power  to  be- 
come like  Christ,  to  witness  for  him, 
live  and  die  for  him,  and  reign  eter- 
nally with  him. 

Many  Scripture  passages  express 
characteristics  of  this  power,  such 
as  "endued  with  power  from  on 
high."  "filled  with  all  the  fulness  of 
God,"  "create  in  me  a  clean  heart, 
O  God,"  "sanctified  wholly  and  pre- 
served blameless  unto  the  coming  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  "have  ye  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Spirit  since  ye  be- 
lieved?" Are  not  many  of  our 
hymns,  prayers  for  this  purity? 

God's  words  thus  lift  up  an  ideal 
we  all  may  reach,  and  our  songs  sing 
of  an  altitude  we  may  obtain.  The 
whole  Christian  world  should  pray 
that  this  baptism  of  fire  may  burn 
up  all  the  dross  of  sin  and  make  man- 
kind fully  ready  for  Christ's  second 
coming  and  for  eternal  residence  with 
him  in  glory. — Rev.  E.  W.  Caswell, 
D.D. 

Invitations 

(1)  "I  stand  and  knock."  Rev. 
3:20. 

(2)  "I  came  to  call  sinners." 
Luke  5 :  32. 

(3)  "Come  unto  Me  and  Rest." 
Matt.  11:28. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      193 


(4)  "Come  unto  Me  and  drink." 
John  7:37. 

(5)  "Come  now,  let  us  reason." 
Isa.   1:18. 

(6)  "Come  to  the  waters."  Isa. 
55:1. 

(7)  "Come,  all  things  are  ready." 
Luke  14:17. 

(8)  "No  wise  cast  out."  John 
6 :  37-47. 

(9)  "Come,  Whosoever  will." 
Rev.  22 :  17. 

Follow 

What  is  it  to  Follow? 

(1)  Forsaking  the  old  life.  2  Cor. 
5:17. 

(2)  Obeying  the  Lord's  word. 
John  21 :  22. 

(3)  Looking  not  behind.  Luke  9: 
62. 

(4)  Looking  unto  Jesus.  Heb. 
12:2. 

(5)  Onward'  to  the  end.  Phil. 
3:13,   14. 

(6)  Watching  unto  prayer.  Mark 
13 :  33. 

Four  Steps  in  the  New  Birth 

"Ye  must  be  born  again."  John 
3:5. 

I.  Step — Conviction.    John  16:8,9. 

II.  Step — Repentance.    2  Cor.  7 :  10. 

III.  Step— Faith.     John  6:37. 

IV.  Step — Forgiveness.        1      John 
7:9. 

— Wm.  D.  Laumaster. 

A  Question  in  Five  Words. 

John  5:6;   last  clause. 

I.  Wilt — Are  you  willing?  Jno. 
6:37;   last  clause. 

II.  Thou— Personal.     2  Cor.  5  :  10. 

III.  Be  made — Resignation.  Psa. 
49:6-7. 

IV.  Whole— Complete.  Mark  10: 
52. 

— A.  M.   Clemence. 
\ 
Temptation. 

Christian  life  is  a  warfare — Three 
great  enemies,  the  world,  the  flesh 
and  the  devil. 

James  1 :  2,  12.  These  verses  show 
that  temptation  may  be  made  a  bless- 
ing. 

I.  1  Pet.  1:6,  7.  The  cutting  of 
the  diamond  gives  sparkle,  the  bur- 
nishing of  the  gold  gives  luster. 

How  to  overcome? 

II.  By  looking  to  Christ.  1  Cor. 
10  :  13,  2  Pet.  2 :  9. 

III.  Christ    having    been    tempted 


knows   how  to  deliver.     Heb.  2 :  18, 
4:15. 

IV.  The  indwelling  Word  helps 
us.  _  Rev.   3:10. 

Giving  a  testimony  when  tempted, 
helps  us.     Rev.   12  :  11. 

V.  All  are  subject  to  temptation, 
therefore  there  is  need  of  prayer  and 
watchfulness.  Gal.  6:1.  Matt. 
26 :  41. 

-H.  F.  S. 

Paul  and  Felix 

"And  as  he  reasoned  of  righteous- 
ness, temperance,  and  judgment  to 
come."— Acts  24:25. 

I.  The  subject  matter  of  Paul's 
preaching. 

(1)  Righteousness;  involves  the 
idea  of  being  just  in  one's  dealings 
with  God  and  man. 

(2)  Temperance;  in  eating;  in 
drinking ;  in  all  things.  Intemperance 
is  ruinous  to  the  body,  to  the  soul, 
to  the  family,  to  the  church,  and  to 
society  at  large. 

(3)  Judgment.  Note  (1)  certainty 
of  this,  as  evident  from  Scripture, 
from  reason,  from  conscience;  (2) 
its  necessity  and  (3)  its  unalterable 
decision. 

II.  The  effect  produced.  "Felix 
trembled."  1,  on  account  of  the 
wretched  state  in  which  he  lived; 
2,  because  of  the  doom  that  awaited 
him. 

III.  The  answer.  "Go  thy  way." 
Consider  this  as  addressed  to  (1) 
God,  (2)  to  the  Spirit,  (3)  to  the 
minister. 

IV.  The  resolution.  The  "con- 
venient season."  Note  its  danger  for 
the  sinner  gets  worse ;  no  time  more 
favorable  than  the  present  will  ever 
arrive ;  no  means  more  favorable  will 
ever  be  used ;  God  will  never  be  more 
willing  than  he  is  now. 

Sowing  and  Reaping 

"Be  not  deceived ;  God  is  not 
mocked,"  etc.     Gal.  6:7,  8. 

I.  Before  reaping  there  must  have 
been  seed,  soil,  the  influences  of 
heaven,  seed-time,  and  harvest. 

II.  When  seed  sown,  hidden  until 
it  germinates. 

III.  Is  not  lost,  the  summer  re- 
veals it,  and  the  harvest  renders  it 
back. 

IV.  Kind  of  fruit  gathered  depends 
upon  the  seed  sown. 

V.  Seed  takes  a  while  to  bring 
forth    fruit.      Spring,    summer,    and 


194 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


autumn  must  revolve,  but  there  must 
and  will  be  an  eternal  harvest.  What 
shall  the  harvest  be? 

Gospel,  a  Full 
Rom.   1 :  16. 

I.  Keynote  to  the  epistle. 

(1)  Justification  by  faith  intro- 
duced    Rom.  1. 

(2)  Sanctification  by  the  Spirit. 
Rom.   8:1. 

(3)  Consecration  for  service.  Rom. 
12:1. 

II.  Essentials  and  theme — 

(1)  Jesus  living,  our  example.  1 
Pet.  2 :  21. 

(2)  Jesus  dying,  our  redeemer. 
Tit.  2 :  14. 

(3)  Jesus  buried,  our  scapegoat. 
Lev.   16:21. 

(4)  Christ  risen,  our  justifier. 
Rom.  4 :  25. 

(5)  Christ  ascended,  our  head. 
Col.  1 :  18. 

(6)  Christ  coming,  our  hope.  Tit. 
2:13. 

God's  Way 

I.  Its  Characteristics. 

(1)  A  way   of   truth.     Psa.  25:5. 

(2)  A  way  of  mercy.    Psa.  25 :  10. 

(3)  A  way  of  obedience.  Psa. 
119:32. 

(4)  A  way  of  peace.     Prov.  3 :  17. 

(5)  A  way  of  holiness.     Isa.  35:8. 

(6)  A  way   of  safety.     Isa.  35:9. 

(7)  A  way  of  prosperity.  Gen. 
44 :  56. 

II.  Natural  Man  Ignorant  Must 
Be  Taught. 

Psa.  27:11,  "Teach  me,"  Psa. 
25  :  4,  "Show  me ;"  Psa.  25  :  5,  "Lead 
me." 

III.  Who  May  Know  God's  Way? 

(1)  The  meek.     1  Pet.  5:5. 

(2)  The  obedient.     Jno.  7:17. 

(3)  The  man  of  faith.  Acts 
3:16;  John  3  :  16. 

IV.  How  May  He  Learn? 
Through  Jesus  Christ.    Jno.  6:40; 

Jno.  8:12;   Jno.    10:28;   Jno.    10:9. 
—A.  H.  Wardle. 

Acceptance,   Ground    of 

I.  God  shows  the  only  ground  of 
acceptance.     Gen.  4 :  7. 

II.  Like  Job,  see  true  condition  be- 
fore  salvation.     Job.   42  :  1-9. 

III.  The  only  acceptable  time  now. 
2  Cor.  6 :  2. 

IV.  Christ  the  only  acceptable 
offering.    Offering  had  to  be  perfect, 


before  accepted.  Lev.  22  :  21 ;  Heb. 
2:10;   Heb.  10:1-18. 

V.  We  are  accepted  in  Christ  only. 
Eph.  1:6. 

VI.  Our  labor  only  acceptable  in 
Christ.    2  Cor.  5  :  9. 

— J.  E.  Wolfe. 

The  Sinner's  Saviour 

"Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth  by." 
Luke  18:37. 

There  are  many  incidents  in  the 
Word  that  reveal  the  great  love  of 
Christ  for  lost  and  despairing  souls, 
but  none  that  reveals  it  more  ten- 
derly than  this  scene  of  the  Jericho 
road,  where  he  meets  the  poor  blind 
beggar,  and,  touched  by  his  condition, 
pauses  on  his  journey  to  heal  him. 

I.  The  blind  man's  condition  is  a 
type  of  the  sinner's. 

(1)  He  was  blind.  All  the  beauties 
of  God's  creation  were  closed  to  him. 
There  are  two  worlds,  a  physical  and 
a  spiritual.  As  this  man  was  blind 
to  the  physical,  so  the  sinner  is  to 
the  spiritual.  He  knows  not  the  joy 
of    pardon    and    doubts    its    reality. 

'The  natural  heart"  receiveth  not  the 
things  of  the  kingdom.  1  Corinthians 
2:14;   Ephesians  2:3. 

(2)  He  was  helpless.  "Had  suf- 
fered many  things  of  many  physi- 
cians." Has  lost  faith  in  external 
remedies,  but  as  he  hears  of  Jesus  is 
filled  with  emotion  and  hope.  John 
8:34;   Ephesians  2:8-10. 

II.  The  blind  man's  action  must 
be  the  action  of  the  sinner. 

(1)  He  placed  himself  in  Christ's 
way.  Difficulties  were  before  him 
and  the  crowd  tried  to  keep  him 
back,  but  he  allowed  none  of  these 
to   hinder  him.     John  5  :  40. 

(2)  He  surrendered  himself  to 
Christ.  If  he  had  any  preconceived 
notions  as  to  how  he  should  be 
healed  he  cast  them  aside.  John 
7:17. 

(3)  He  improved  his  opportunity. 
Had  he  not  been  healed  then  he  never 
would  have  been  healed.  This  was 
Christ's  last  trip  to  Jerusalem.  "Jesus 
of  Nazareth  passeth  by." 

Freedom  from  Sin 

"If  the  Son  shall  make  you  free, 
ye  shall  be  free  indeed."    John  8:36. 

These  words  of  Christ  were  spoken 
to  correct  a  wrong  meaning  which 
the  Jews  had  connected  with  his  pre- 
vious statement:  "If  ye  continue  in 
my  word,  then  are  ye  my  disciples 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      195 


indeed ;  and  ye  shall  know  the  truth, 
and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free." 

I.  The  Lord  had  not  spoken  of 
political  liberty,  as  the  Jews  had 
wrongly  understood  him,  but  of  es- 
sential liberty,  a  liberty  that  really 
is  liberty.  That  is  what  the  words 
in  the  original  signify. 

II.  The  freedom  of  which  Jesus 
speaks  is  the  freedom  of  the  perfect 
man  in  Christ.  The  person  who  is 
not  in  bondage  to  ignorance,  to  pas- 
sion, to  lust,  whose  every  power  can 
exert  itself  in  accordance  with  the 
great  purposes  for  which  it  was  be- 
stowed by  the  Creator,  and  who  in 
the  exercise  of  his  God-given  knowl- 
edge, skill,  strength  of  character,  and 
love,  freely  chooses  to  serve  God 
and  his  fellowman — he,  he  only  is 
the  truly  free  man.  You  may  take 
away  his  physical  liberty  and  throw 
him  into  prison  for  speaking  God's 
truth,  as  was  done  to  the  Christian 
martyrs ;  you  may  take  away  his  so- 
cial and  political  liberty,  as  was  done 
to  many  a  Christian  slave  in  the  early 
days  of  Christianity ;  but  you  cannot 
take  away  his  essential  liberty.  His 
thought,  the  worship  of  his  soul,  his 
faith,  cannot  be  chained  and  incar- 
cerated. Freely  his  believing  heart 
communicates  with  God  and  mingles 
its  prayers  with  the  myriad  prayers 
of  God's  children  the  world  over. 
That  is  a  freedom  worth  having  and 
striving  for. 

III.  One  hundred  and  forty-sb 
years  ago  the  founders  of  the  North 
American  Republic  declared  their  in- 
dependence from  foreign  rule  and  es- 
tablished a  government  on  the  basis 
of  political  liberty  and  equality.  It 
was  a  noble  act,  worthy  to  be  re- 
membered for  generations.  It  is 
proper  that  the  event  is  commemo- 
rated every  year.  But  even  the  free- 
dom that  was  proclaimed  from  Lib- 
erty Hall  must  be  hallowed  to  all  its 
possessors  by  the  greater  freedom 
which  only  Jesus,  the  great  Libera- 
tor of  the  race  from  its  worst  foes, 
sin,  death,  and  the  devil,  can  bestow. 
The  happiest  American  is  he  who 
traces  his  liberty  not  only  to  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  but  also 
to  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. — D. 

The  Clear  Call 

"If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the 
prophets,  neither  will  they  be  per- 
suaded though  one  rose  from  the 
dead."     Luke  16:31. 


I.  The  Scriptures  are  given  us  for 
the  purpose  of  making  us  wise  unto 
salvation.  They  are  sufficient.  Even 
the  Old  Testament  Bible  answered 
this  purpose  perfectly.  The  request 
of  Dives  that  one  might  be  sent  from 
the  dead  to  call  his  impenitent  breth- 
ren on  earth  to  repentance,  is  re- 
fused on  the  ground  that  their  needs 
are  already  amply  provided  for.  The 
oracles  of  God  were  committed  to 
their  nation.  If  they  wished  infor- 
mation regarding  any  doctrine,  the 
Bible  could  furnish  it.  If  they  need- 
ed correction  of  their  evil  ways,  the 
Bible  was  ringing  with  the  most 
authoritative  warnings  against  every 
kind  of  iniquity.  If  they  wished 
for  a  guide  unto  holy  living,  in- 
struction in  practical  righteousness, 
there  was  no  better  code  of  mor- 
als than  their  Bible.  If  they  need- 
ed comfort  in  affliction,  there  was 
no  book  that  addressed  the  bruised 
heart  in  soothing  terms  as  the 
Bible. 

II.  With  this  Book  God  has  con- 
nected his  great  power,  making  it 
able  to  produce  every  salutary  effect 
in  the  heart  of  man.  The  study  of 
this  Book  has  received  the  divine 
promise  of  exceptional  blessings. 

III.  It  is  folly  and  insolence,  after 
God  has  been  at  such  pains  to  pro- 
claim to  us  the  whole  counsel  for 
our  salvation,  for  men  to  desire  a 
different  revelation.  The  Jews 
missed  their  Messiah  when  he  had 
come  among  them,  full  of  grace  and 
truth ;  they  were  still  looking  for 
another.  So  many  in  our  day  miss 
the  clear,  urgent  and  loving  call  of 
God  in  his  Holy  Book;  they  pretend 
they  would  believe  a  specter  from 
the  unseen  world  rather  than  the  in- 
comparable record  of  God's  right- 
eousness and  love  in  the  Bible.  How 
do  they  know  they  would? — D. 

The  Well  That  Satisfies  the  Soul's 
Thirst 

"Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth !" 
Isa.  55 : 1-9. 

There  are  things  which  money  can- 
not buy.  It  is  absurd  to  bring  gold 
or  silver  or  any  such  equivalent  for 
them,  for  they  are  without  price. 
They  therefore  elude  the  rich,  who 
have  acquired  the  habit  of  supposing 
that  money  is  the  only  medium  of 
exchange,  and  who  find  it  hard  to 
think  of  wealth  other  than  that  which 
passes  current  in  the  market ;  whilst 


196 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


they  are  within  the  reach  of  those 
who  have  no  money,  but  who  are 
sorely  athirst. 

II.  It  is  highly  necessary  that  God 
should  call  the  attention  of  the  Jew- 
ish people  to  these  unpurchasable 
possessions.  Their  life  in  Babylon 
had  become  so  luxurious  that  there 
was  danger  of  their  losing  sight  of 
the  great  facts  of  the  spiritual  world. 
It  was  needful  for  them  to  be  re- 
minded that  the  immortal  thirst  of 
the  soul  cannot  be  quenched  by 
waters  whose  source  is  the  depth  of 
the  earth,  though  the  wells  be  deep 
as  Sychar's ;  and  that  its  hunger  can- 
not be  satisfied  with  the  provision 
beneath  which  the  tables  of  a  Dives 
groan. 

III.  True  satisfaction — that  which 
is  really  bread,  the  fatness  that  de- 
lights the  soul — can  only  be  obtained 
where  the  coins  of  this  world  do  not 
pass  current;  in  fellowship  with  him 
whose  voice  is  ever  speaking  in  the 
marts  of  commerce,  saying,  "Ho, 
every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye ! 
Hearken  unto  me !  buy  wine  and 
milk ;  eat  ye  that  which  is  good !" 

IV.  These  gifts  of  the  spiritual 
world  by  which  the  soul  lives  are 
given  in  covenant.  Each  man  must 
enter  for  himself  into  covenant  re- 
lationship with  God.  Yet  in  the 
deepest  sense,  the  covenant  has  been 
already  made  on  the  behalf  of  all 
faithful  souls,  by  their  Representa- 
tive, who  here  looms  out,  amid  the 
mists  of  the  dim  past,  in  the  un- 
mistakable glory  of  the  Son  of  Man. 
—Rev.  F.  B.  Meyer,  D.D. 

The  Great  Choice 

"No  man  can  serve  two  masters." 
Matt.  6:24. 

"Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  Mam- 
mon." The  wise  man  builds  upon  a 
rock ;  the  foolish  upon  the  sand. 
They  that  be  wise  shall  shine  with 
the  glory  of  God,  brighter  than  the 
stars.  The  foolish  shine  with  the 
glory  of  gold.  The  wise  enter  the 
narrow  life;  the  foolish,  the  broad 
way  to  death.  The  wise  take  no 
anxious  thought  for  the  morrow ;  the 
foolish  make  every  provision  for 
earthlv  things. 

I.  There  can  be  no  real  compro- 
mise between  good  and  evil ;  no  third 
or  neutral  position  regarding  moral 
questions.  He  that  is  not  for  Christ 
is  against  him.  Every  one  must 
choose    as    Moses    did,    who    cKbse 


rather  to  suffer  affliction  with  the 
people  of  God  than  to  enjoy  the 
pleasures  of  sin  for  a  season.  Joshua 
cried  out,  "Choose  you  this  day  whom 
ye  will  serve,"  and  Elijah  ex- 
claimed, "How  long  halt  ye  between 
two  opinions  ?"  We  must  decide 
which  road  we  will  take,  up  the 
rugged  Hill  Difficulty  or  down  the 
gilded  path  to  ruin.  If  we  follow 
him  whose  footsteps  were  stained 
with  blood,  up  Calvary,  we  shall 
reach  the  realms  of  light ;  while 
away  downward  is  the  night  that 
knows  no  morning.  "For  what  shall 
it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole 
world  and  lose  his  own  soul?'' 

II.  Abraham  Lincoln  said  regard- 
ing slavery :  "A  house  divided  against 
itself  cannot  stand ;  it  will  become  all 
the  one  thing  or  all  the  other.  This 
government  cannot  endure  half  slave 
and  half  free."  Neither  can  an  indi- 
vidual morally  occupy  such  an  anom- 
alous position ;  he  must  choose  for 
God  or  Satan,  holiness  or  sinfulness, 
forever  and  ever. — C. 

Season  of  Grace 

2  Cor.  7:  10. 

Sin,  repentance  and  pardon  are 
like  to  the  three  vernal  months  of 
the  year — March,  April,  and  May. 

I.  Sin  comes  in  like  March,  blus- 
tering, stormy,  and  full  of  bold  vio- 
lence. 

II.  Repentance  succeeds  like  April 
— showery,  weeping,  and  full  of 
tears. 

III.  Pardon  follows  like  May — 
springing,  singing,  full  of  joys  and 
flowers. 

IV.  Our  eyes  must  be  full  of 
April  with  the  sorrow  of  repentance. 

V.  Then  our  hearts  shall  be  full 
of  May  with  the  true  joy  of  forgive- 
ness. 

Peace:  False  and  True 

I.  False. 

(1)  The  peace  of  ignorance.  Psa. 
73  :  3-6 ;  Luke  12 :  16-19.  Their  end. 
Psa.  73:17-20;   Luke  12:20,  21. 

(2)  The  peace  of  self-righteous- 
ness. Luke  18:11,  12.  Their  end. 
Matt.  23:27,  33. 

(3)  The  peace  of  a  seared  con- 
science. 1  Tim.  4:1,  2.  Their  end. 
2  Pet.  2  :  20,  21. 

II.  True.  Jno.  14:27;  Eph.  2:14; 
Jno.  20:  19,  20;  Rom.  5:1. 

III.  How  to  keep  it.     Isa.  26 : 3. 
—Rev.  H.  P.  Welton,  D.D. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      197 


Steps  to  Christ 

"I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  Father." 
Luke  15:18. 

Let  us  consider  a  few  of  the  steps 
necessary  for  the  sinner  in  turning 
to  God. 

First.  Conviction.  He  must  feel 
his  guilt,  that  he  is  a  sinner,  that 
he  has  sinned  against  God,  and  as 
such  has  no  part  in  his  kingdom. 
Do  not  mistake  conviction  for  con- 
version. We  have  often  seen  souls 
buried  in  tears  through  conviction, 
who,  through  acceptance  into  church 
fellowship  or  the  partaking  of  the 
Lord's  Supper,  were  considered 
"Consecrated  to  God."  Conviction  is 
nothing  more  than  the  opening  of 
the  eyes  to  behold  the  condition  and 
real   danger  of   the   soul. 

Second.  Being  convicted  of  the 
error  of  his  way,  it  requires  action. 
He  must  have  a  desire  for  forgive- 
ness ;  a  willingness  to  seek  redemp- 
tion in  Jesus  Christ.  This  evidence 
he  shows  by  coming  to  the  altar  of 
prayer,  or  some  other  such  step. 

Third.  Faith.  He  must  have  faith 
in  Jesus  Christ,  that  his  blood  is  suf- 
ficient to  cleanse  from  all  sin. 

Fourth.  A  complete  surrender  to 
God.  Not  for  a  day,  nor  for  a  night, 
but  once  and  for  all :  "From  this 
day  on  until  death  will  I  serve  thee." 
No  hidden  sins  or  pleasures  of  this 
life  can  be  withheld  from  God ;  it 
requires  a  full  surrender,  and  then, 
and  then  only,  the  blessing  will 
come. — Rev.  J.  F.  Grube. 

Christian    Characteristics 

(1)  Confessing  Christ.  Matt.  10: 
32;  Jno.  4:15. 

(2)  Controlling  body.  1  Cor. 
9:27;   Col.  3:5. 

(3)  Hungering  after  righteousness. 
Matt.  5:6;  Luke  6 :  21. 

(4)  Humble.  Jas.  4 :  10 ;  1  Pet. 
5:5,  6. 

(5)  Rejoicing  in  God.  Psa.  33:1; 
Heb.  3 :  18. 

(6)  Righteous.  Luke  1:6;  Rom. 
4:5. 

(7)  Imitator  of  Christ.  2  Cor. 
4:10;   Phil.  2:5. 

(8)  In  Christ.  Jno.  15:1-7;  Col. 
3: 3. 

(9)  Steadfast.  1  Cor.  15:58;  f.c; 
Col.  2 : 5. 

(10)  Self-sacrificing.  Mark  10:28- 
30;  Luke  5:27-28. 

(11)  Trusting.  Job  13:15;  Psa. 
56:4,  11. 


(12)  Thankful.  Col.  3:17;  1 
Thess.   5:18. 

(13)  Indwelling  of  Holy  Ghost. 
Rom.  8:9;  1  Jno.  4:13. 

(14)  Increasing  in  faith.  Luke 
17:5;   Eph.  6:16. 

(15)  Abstaining  from  appearance 
of  evil.    2  Cor.  8:21;  1  Thess.  5 :  22. 

(16)  Abounding  in  work  of  the 
Lord.     1  Cor.  15  :  58  ;  2  Cor.  8 :  7. 

(17)  New  Creatures.  2  Cor.  5  :  17 ; 
Gal.  6:15. 

(18)  Near  to  God.  Heb.  10:22; 
Jas.  4:8 

— J.  H.  Edwards. 

Something   Worth    Having 

(1)  Faith  in  God.  Mark  11:22; 
Heb.  11:6;  Rom.  10:17. 

(2)  Redemption.  Eph.  1:6,  7;  1 
Pet.  1:18-20;  1   Pet.  2:24. 

(3)  Peace  with  God.  Rom.  5 :  1. 
Contrast  unsaved.     Isa.  57  :  20,  21. 

(4)  Boldness.  Heb.  10:19.  In 
and   out.     Jno.    10:  10. 

(5)  An  advocate.  1  Jno.  2:1,  2; 
Heb.  4:15,  16;  7:25. 

(6)  The  promises  of  God.  2  Pet. 
1:4;  Luke  15  :  31 ;  Phil.  4 :  19 ;  2  Cor. 
7:1. 

(7)  The  same  kind  of  joy  that 
Jesus  had.  Jno.  17:13;  Jno.  15:9- 
11 ;  Heb.  12 :  1,  2 ;  Rom.  15  :  13 ;  Neh. 
8:10. 

Oh!  the  joy  of  knowing  that  I  am 
pleasing   God.     Jno.    8  :  29. 

When  we  please  him  he  lets  us 
know  it.     Heb.   11:4,  5. 

Forgiveness  for  the  past,  grace  for 
the  present,  glory  for  the  future. 
Surely  this  is  worth  having. 

— Robert  L.  Layfield. 

"The  Child  Samuel" 
He  was — 

I.  A  Progressive  Child. 
"Samuel       grew" — "Grew       on" — 

"Grew    before    the    Lord."      1    Sam. 
2:21-26;   3:19. 

II.  A  Privileged  Child. 

"The  Lord  was  with  him."  1  Sam. 
3:19.  Comp.  Matt.  28:20;  Heb. 
13:5. 

III.  A   Powerful  Child. 

"None  of  his  words  fell  to  the 
ground."     1   Sam.  3  :  19. 

IV.  A  Prosperous  Child. 

"All  Israel  knew  he  was  established 
to  be  a  prophet."     1   Sam.  3 :  20. 
— James  Sprunt. 

The   Backslider 
Jeremiah  3 : 1-25. 


198 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


I.  Cause  of  backsliding,  vs.  1,  2. 
Spiritual  adultery  is  the  cause  as- 
signed by  God.  Unfaithful  to  the 
vow  of  a  separated  life,  you  have 
played  the  harlot  with  another  lover, 
and   God   is   broken-hearted. 

II.  Result  of  backsliding.  v.  3. 
''Therefore"  (mark  you  well  the  log- 
ical connection),  "the  showers  have 
been  \vithholden."  Spiritual  drought, 
spiritual  barrenness,  spiritual  fruit- 
lessness,  are  due  to  spiritual  adul- 
tery. For  the  way  to  secure 
"showers  of  blessing,"  see  2  Chron. 
7:13,  14. 

III.  God's  disappointment  in  the 
backslider,  v.  6.  That  question  is 
the  wail  of  a  disappointed  heart. 
Yet  amid  the  deepest  disappointment 
God  has  hope  and  says,  "Turn  thou 
unto  me."  v.  7.  That  hope  becomes 
shattered  in  the  word  "but"  of  v.  7. 

IV.  The  backslider's  influence. 
vs.  8-10.  Backsliding  Israel  influenced 
Judah  to  treachery.  Judah  treated 
God  falsely ;  it  was  Judas-like  pre- 
tending to  love,  while  deceit  was  in 
the  mouth.  God  wants  the  whole 
heart  or  none. 

V.  The  backsliders  call :  "Return  !" 
v.  12.  Three  times  in  this  chapter 
(vs.  1,  12,  22)  the  call  goes  forth. 
Note  the  patient  pleading  in  "yet" 
in  v.  1.  This  is  the  eloquence  of 
love  pleading  for  its  own ;  the  ten- 
derness of  love  wooing  back  the  way- 
ward ;  the  perseverance  of  love  wait- 
ing  for  the    returning   wanderer. 

VI.  Conditions  of  the  backslider's 
return.  v.  13.  The  way  to  the 
Father's  home  is  open  on  these  con- 
ditions :  (a)  acknowledge  thy  trans- 
gression against  the  law  and  the  love 
of  God;  (b)  acknowledge  the  evil 
influence  of  thy  life  upon  others; 
(c)  acknowledge  thy  disobedience  to 
the  voice  of  God ;  then  return. 

VII.  Promises  to  the  returning 
backslider,  vs.  14-19.  (a)  The  love 
of  a  husband,  v.  14.  (b)  Bring 
him  to  Zion,  the  place  of  privilege 
and  blessing,  v.  14.  (c)  Give  him 
true  shepherds,  that  will  feed  him 
with  knowledge  and  understanding, 
v.  15.  (d)  Lead  him  to  genuine 
worship  in  which  reality  is  greater 
than  ritual,  vs.  16,  17.  (e)  Unity 
of  fellowship  and  service,  v.  18. 
(f)  Restored  privileges  of  the 
Father's    family,     v.   29. 

VIII.  Arraignment  of  the  back- 
slider, vs.  20,  21.  (a)  Treacherous 
dealing    v.  20.    (b)  Perversion  of  the 


way  of  God.  v.  21  (c)  Forgetting 
God.  v.  21.  Apply  this  three-fold 
arraignment  to  your  life. 

IX.  Hope  of  the  backslider,  v.  22. 
Interpret  I  "will  heal  your  backslid- 
ings,"  by  Hos.  13:4-7;  (a)  "I  will 
heal  their  backsliding,"  v.  4;  the 
wounds  healed,  (b)  "I  will  love  them 
freely,"  v.  4;  like  as  a  Father,  (c)  "I 
will  be  as  the  dew,"  v.  5 ;  the  parched 
soul  refreshed,  (d)  "Blossom  as  the 
lily,"  v.  5 ;  in  beauteous  profusion, 
(e)  Grow  as  the  cedars  of  Lebanon, 
v.  5;  strength  assured.  (f)  "His 
beauty  shall  be  as  the  olive  tree,"  v. 
6;  the  beauty  of  fruitfulness.  (g) 
Fragrance  of  Lebanon,  v.  6;  the  fra- 
grant life,  (h)  Prosperity  abundant. 
v.  7. 

X.  Confession  of  the  backslider, 
v.  25.  Let  this  confession  often 
arise  from  those  that  are  "prone  to 
wander." — Rev.  T.  S.  Henderson,  D.D. 

The  Loss  or  Salvation  of  the  Soul 
"What  shall  it  profit  a  man,  if  he 
shall  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose 
his  own  soul  ?" — Mark  8  :  36,  37. 

These  are  questions  of  unspeakable 
importance.  The  Soul  is  something 
distinct  from  the  body,  and  is  capable 
of  living  separately  from  the  body  in 
another  world.  It  is  that  which  lives 
and  thinks  and  moves  within.  If  the 
Soul  is  saved,  all  is  saved ;  if  the 
Soul  is  lost,  all  is  lost. 

I.  The  soul  is  in  danger  of  being 
lost  for  ever. 

II.  The  soul  has  been  redeemed, 
and  may  be  saved. 

III.  The  soul  committed  to  Christ 
is   safe. 

IV.  The  soul  lost  cannot  be  com- 
pensated  by   the   whole   world. 

The  impenitent  will  be  lost  (Luke 
13:5)  ;  the  unregenerate  will  be  lost 
(John  3:3);  and  the  neglected  will 
be  lost  (Heb.  2:3).  The  redemption 
of  the  soul  by  the  blood  of  Christ 
shows  us  God's  great  love  for  it,  its 
great  value,  and  the  only  thing  that 
could  redeem  it.  There  is  no  meet- 
ing the  soul's  need  apart  from  Christ. 
Nothing  to  cleanse  it  from  sin,  but 
his  blood.  Nothing  to  clothe  it,  but 
his  righteousness.  Nothing  to  satisfy 
its  longing,  but  himself. — Rev.  C.  Ed- 
wards. 

The  Supreme  Question  Supremely 
Answered 
"What  must  I   do   to  be   saved?" 
Acts.  16:30. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      199 


I.  "Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ;  and  thou  shalt  be  saved." 
Acts.   16:31. 

"Lord,  I  believe ;  help  thou  mine 
unbelief."     Mark  9:24. 

II.  "Let  the  wicked  forsake  his 
way  and  return  unto  the  Lord,  and 
he  will  have  mercy  upon  him ;  and 
to  our  God,  for  he  will  abundantly 
pardon."     Isa.  55  :  7. 

"God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner." 
Luke   18:13. 

III.  "The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  1  Jude 
1:7. 

"Wash  me  thoroughly  from  iniq- 
uity, and  cleanse  me  from  my  sin." 
Ps.  51  : 2. 

IV.  "Him  that  cometh  to  me,  I 
will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  Jude 
6:37. 

"Show  me  Thy  ways,  O  Lord,  teach 
me  Thy  paths."     Ps.  25  :  4. 

V.  "Jesus  is  able  to  save  them 
unto  the  uttermost,  who  come  unto 
God  by  him."     Heb.  7  :  35. 

"Lord,   save   me."     Matt.    14:30. 

An  Object  Lesson  in  Grace 

John  9 :  25. 

This  is  one  of  the  many  object-les- 
sons of  grace  in  the  New  Testament. 
Christ  opens  the  eyes  of  the  spiritu- 
ally blind  that  they  may  see  his 
glory. 

I.  The  man's  trouble.  "Born 
blind,"  vs.  2. 

II.  The  man's  trust.  "He  went 
his  way."    vs.  7. 

III.  The  man's  trial.  Persecution, 
vs.  13-34. 

IV.  The  man's  testimony.  Simple, 
Sound  and  Certain. 

V.  The  man's  triumph.  He  saw 
Jesus,  vs.  35-38. 

All  are  unfortunately  born  blind 
spiritually.  Some  are  deluded  and 
blind  (2  Cor.  4:3,  4);  some  are 
willfully  blind  (John  9:41);  and 
some  go  into  eternity  blind. 

Jesus  saw  this  blind  man,  touched 
him  by  his  power,  spoke  words  of 
love  and  grace  to  him,  and  gave  him 
his  sight.  This  is  what  Jesus  is  doing 
still  by  his  Spirit  and  Word. 

As  soon  as  this  poor  man's  eyes 
were  opened  he  saw  how  the  people 
hated  Christ. 

His  neighbors  questioned  him, 
Pharisees  abused  him,  his  parents 
feared  and  forsook  him,  religious  peo- 
ple turned  him  out,  but  Jesus  found 
him,  and  comforted  him. 


This  man  g?ve  a  clear  and  un- 
mistakable testimony  to  the  power 
of  Christ  to  heal  and  save. 

It  was  simple.  "A  man  that  is 
called  Jesus,"  etc.  It  was  sound. 
He  told  all  he  knew — a  man,  a 
Prophet.  It  was  certain.  "One  thing 
I  know,"  etc.  It  was  settling.  "Will 
ye  also  be  his  disciples?"  He  brought 
the  truth  home  to  their  own  hearts. 
Jesus  found  him,  instructed  him,  and 
blessed  him. — Rev.  C.  Edwards. 

The  Call  to  Labor 

"Son,  go  work  to-day  in  My  vine- 
yard."   Matt  21 :  28. 

It  is  dignified  and  honorable  to 
labor.  An  idle  man  is  a  stagnant  pool 
on  the  world's  highway.  Every  one 
is  called  upon  to  do  something. 

I.  God  calls  us  to  work  for  him. 
"Son,  go  work  to-day  in  My  vine- 
yard." We  may  take  the  Lord's 
vineyard  to  represent  (1)  our  own 
nature.  We  are  not  our  own.  To 
succeed  in  cultivating  our  own  na- 
ture is  to  lay  the  foundation  of  suc- 
cess in  everything  else ;  but  to  fail 
here  is  to  fail  everywhere.  (2)  We 
may  include  our  own  households. 

"Make  good  thy  center  first, 
Then    strike   thy   circles   round." 

No  man  was  ever  required  by  Jesus 
to  neglect  his  home  for  any  other 
work.  (3)  The  Lord's  vineyard  may 
next  include  his  Church.  "Look  not 
every  man  on  his  own  things  only," 
etc.  "Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens," 
etc.  The  best  interests  of  the 
Church  should  be  the  constant  care 
of  every  Christian.  (4)  But  the 
Lord's  vineyard  includes  the  whole 
world.  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world, 
etc." 

II.  The  call  comes  from  our 
Father.  There  is  no  relation  which 
claims  the  same  authority  as  a  father. 
A  man  should  always  be  a  boy — an 
obedient  boy — in  the  presence  of  his 
father.  We  are  not  slaves  or  serv- 
ants, but  children.  The  divine  Father 
has  the  first  and  highest  claim. 

III.  The  call  is  urgent — "to-day." 
There  is  to  be  no  delay.  It  may  be 
our  only  day.  We  owe  all  days  to 
our  Father.  It  will  never  be  so  easy 
to  obey  as  now.  Procrastination  is 
dangerous.  "To-day" — the  night  is 
coming,  when  it  will  be  too  late. 

A  New  Testament  Revival 
Acts  19:1-41;  20:1-21. 


200 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


The  best  hand-book  on  revivals  is 
the  Book  of  Acts.  If  you  desire  a 
revival  in  your  church,  a  God-in- 
spired, God-continued,  and  God-ap- 
proved revival,  you  can  have  it  by 
following  out  the  program  in  Acts  19. 

I.  Secure  a  company  of  believers, 
filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  a  sav- 
ing remnant,  vs.  1-7.  Paul  secured 
twelve  laymen  in  Ephesus.  God  has 
always  saved  by  a  remnant.  Isa.  1 : 9. 
God  would  have  saved  Sodom  if  there 
had  been  a  faithful  remnant.  Gen. 
18  :  23-33.  Pentecost  was  made  pos- 
sible on  the  human  side,  by  a  faith- 
ful remnant  of  120.  Acts  1 :  13-15. 
Every  revival  has  been  inaugurated 
by  the  prayers  and  practice  of  a 
Spirit-filled   remnant. 

II.  Public  services.  (a)  Where 
they  were  held.  (1)  In  the  syna- 
gogue, v.  8.  The  regularly  stated 
place  of  worship  was  first  used. 
Some  things  in  the  church  are  not 
to  be  commended,  but  Christ 
founded  the  church  to  accomplish 
his  work.  Revivals  can  be,  and  ought 
to  be  conducted  by  the  church.  (2) 
In  the  school  of  Tyrannus.  v.  9. 
Daily  meetings  were  held  for  two 
years  in  this  public  hall.  Christ 
preached  in  the  temple  and  out  of 
it.  If  the  people  will  not  come  to 
the  church,  we  must  take  the  church 
to  them.  The  command  of  Christ  is, 
"Go  out  and  bring  them  in."  Luke 
14 :  21.  The  problem  is  to  get  a  hear- 
ing for  Christ  among  the  unsaved ; 
get  a  hearing,  and  you  get  a  revival. 
Go  where  you  can  get  a  hearing ! 
(b)  The  message  in  the  meetings. 
It  is  one  thing  to  get  a  hearing; 
the  next  problem  is  what  to  give 
the  people  when  you  secure  a  hear- 
ing. Notice  what  Paul's  message 
was.  (1)  "The  things  concerning  the 
Kingdom  of  God."  v.  8.  Not  poli- 
tics, nor  literature,  nor  science,  but 
the  Kingdom  of  God.  (2)  The 
word  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  v.  10. 
Christ  was  the  theme  of  his  preach- 
ing everywhere.  1  Cor.  2:2.  (3) 
Kept  back  nothing  that  was  profita- 
ble. Acts.  20:20.  Not  pleasure,  but 
profit,  was  his  object.  (4)  "The 
whole  counsel  of  God."  Acts  20  :  27. 
Sin  as  well  as  salvation,  the  future 
as  well  as  the  present. 

III.  The  spirit  of  the  messenger. 
(a)  Tenderest  compassion ;  "with 
tears."  Acts  20:31.  Not  with  pro- 
fessional courtesy,  but  with  personal 
love.       (b)      Persevering     industry; 


"night  and  day."  Acts  20:31.  Not 
by  spasm,  but  by  patient,  persistent 
labor. 

IV.  Personal  work.  Acts  20:20, 
21.  He  went  from  house  to  house 
pleading  with  the  people  to  accept 
Christ.  Personal  contact  focuses  the 
public  message  upon  the  individual 
life.^  Pray  and  labor  for  a  revival 
of  individual  work  for  individuals 
in  your  church  and  community. 

V.  Results.  (a)  All  heard  the 
word.  v.  10.  (b)  Some  were  hard- 
ened and  disobedient,  v.  9.  (c)  Many 
repented,  believed,  and  confessed 
Christ,  vs.  18-20.  (d)  "No  small 
stir,"  "holy  confusion."  vs.  23,  29. 
(e)  Some  were  mad.  v.  28.  (f) 
Epistle  to  the  Ephesians.  Lord,  mul- 
tiply such  revivals ! — Rev.  T.  S. 
Henderson,  D.D. 

The  Steps  to  Life 

May  I  give  you  the  steps  to  eternal 
life? 

I.  First.  Repent.  Repentance  is 
turning   from   sin. 

II.  Second.  Believe.  Say,  "Here 
and  now,  Lord  Jesus,  I  acknowledge 
Thee  as  my   Saviour. 

III.  Third.  Confess.  Say  before 
you  leave  this  building  this  morning, 
"Jesus  Christ  is  my  Saviour;  from 
to-day  on  all  men  shall  know  it." 

IV.  Fourth.     Obey. 

And,  if  every  man  in  this  building 
will  take  these  steps  now,  and  mean 
them,  the  burden  of  sin  will  be  rolled 
away.  God  help  you  to  do  it. — 
Rev.   J.    Wilbur    Chapman,    D.D. 

New  Birth 
It  brings  new  things. 

(1)  A  new  creation.    2  Cor.  5:  17. 

(2)  A  new  life.    1  John  5 :  12. 

(3)  A  new  peace.     Rom.  5:1. 

(4)  A  new  love.     1  John  3 :  14. 

(5)  A  new  evidence  (witness). 
1  John  5  :  10. 

(6)  A  new  outlook.  Rom.  8 :  1. 
— Rev.  Levi  Johnson. 

"Seek  and  Ye  Shall  Find" 
Matt.   7:7. 
In  those  assuring  words  we  have — 

I.  A  personal  precept.  "Seek." 
Obedience. 

II.  A  personal  persuasion.  "Arid 
you."     Response. 

III.  A  personal  promise.  "Shall." 
Assurance. 

IV._  A  personal  portion.  "Find." 
Blessing. 

— Rev.  Charles  Edwards. 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES      201 


Happy    Deliverance 

Ps.   40:    2,  3. 

I.  Sorrow.  "In  the  horrible  pit." 
Helplessness. 

II.  Salvation.  "He  brought  me 
up."     Hope. 

III.  Safety.  "Set  my  feet  upon  a 
rock."     Holiness. 

IV.  Songs.  "Put  a  new  song  into 
my   mouth."     Happiness. 

V.  Service.  "Many  shall  see  it  and 
fear."     Helping  others. 

— Rev.  C.  Edwards. 

Precious  Blood   of  Jesus 

(1)  The  ground  of  our  acceptance, 
Colossians  1 :  20 ;  Romans  5:9;  1 
John  3:10. 

(2)  The  channel  of  forgiveness, 
Ephesians  1:7;  4 :  32 ;  Colossians 
2:13. 

(3)  The  means  of  cleansing,  1 
John  1:7;  Hebrews  9 :  13,  14 ;  Reve- 
lation 7 :  14. 

(4)  The  separating  power,  1  Peter 
1:17,  19;   Hebrews  13:12,  13. 

(5)  The  secret  of  overcoming,  Rev- 
elation 12:11;  2  Corinthians  4:10; 
Galatians  6:  14. 

(6)  The  pledge  of  blessing,  Luke 
22 :  20 ;  Hebrews  9:15;  Romans  8  :  32. 

(7)  Apprehension  needful  to  spir- 
itual life,  John  6:53,  55. 

Now,  Now,  Now 

2  Cor.  6 :  2 

The  Lord  puts  his  special  notice 
word  in  this  verse,  Behold,  to  show 
us  the  importance  of  the  message. 

The  greatest  word  in  the  Bible  is 
God ;  the  sweetest,  Love ;  the  tender- 
est,  Come ;  the  longest.  Eternity ;  and 
the  shortest,  Now.  Yet  what  mo- 
mentous issues  depend  upon  the 
proper  use  of  the  present  moment ! 
Now  or  Never! 

(1)  Now  is  God's  Time — for 
Mercy.     Luke  14  :  17. 

(2)  Now  is  a  Good  Time — for  Sal- 
vation.   2  Kings  7 :  9. 

(3)  Now  is  the  Right  Time — for 
Watchfulness.     Rom.   13:11. 

(4)  Now  is  the  Best  Time— for 
Acceptance.     2   Cor.  6  :  2. 

(5)  Now  is  the  Only  Time— for 
Blessing.     Luke   19:42. 

An    Inspired   Manual    of   Christian 
Work 

Luke  10  is  an  inspired  manual  of 
Christian   work. 

I.  The  work  to  be  done ;  "sent  be- 
fore his  face."    v.  1.     Every  worker 


is  a  pathfinder  for  Jesus.  We  can 
at  least  be  a  voice  in  the  world's 
wilderness,  announcing  the  coming  of 
the  King.     John   1 :  23. 

II.  The  plenteous  salvation,  v. 
2.  Men  are  waiting  for  the  glad 
tidings;  the  call  is  for  laborers.  If 
you  cannot  go  into  the  whitened 
fields,  you  can  pray,  and  such  prayer 
will  help  to  get  reapers. 

III.  The  field  of  work ;  among 
"wolves."  v.  3.  Dangers  will  beset, 
difficulties  arise,  disappointments  fall, 
but  Christ  takes  care  of  the  work- 
ers. The  more  difficult  the  field,  the 
greater  the  triumph  for  Christ. 

IV.  The  spirit  of  the  worker,  vs. 
4-7.  (a)  Self-denial ;  "no  purse,  no 
wallet,  no  shoes."  v.  4.  (b)  No 
trifling;  "salute  no  man  by  the  way." 
v.  4.  (c)  Courtesy;  "Peace  be  unto 
this_  house."  v.  5.  (d)  Grateful  ap- 
preciation ;  "Eat  and  drink  such  things 
as  they  give."     v.  7. 

V.  The  message  of  the  worker :  v. 
9.  "The  kingdom  of  God  is  come 
nigh  unto  you."  That  message  was 
a  call  to  let  God  rule  in  the  hearts 
of  the  people.  That  kingdom  was 
to  be  sought  first.     Matt.  6 :  33. 

VI.  The  worker  superior  to  condi- 
tions.vs.  10-16.  You  go  on  your  mis- 
sion in  Christ's  stead ;  you  cannot  be 
a  servant  of  conditions.  You  are 
not  _  working  for  results,  but  for 
Christ. 

VII.  The  worker's  joy.  vs.  17-20. 
Lives  transformed,  v.  17.  But 
deeper  joy  than  can  come  from  any- 
thing we  do  for  others,  is  the  joy 
that  comes  from  the  knowledge  of 
what  Christ  has  done  for  us.     4:20. 

VIII.  The  worker's  experience,  vs. 
21-22.  (a)  Loving  loyalty  and  entire 
submission  to  the  Father's  will.  v. 
21.  Leave  the  results  of  the  work 
in  the  Father's  hands,  (b)  Complete 
confidence  in  the  Father's  love.  "All 
things  have  been  delivered  unto  me 
of  my  Father."  v.  22.  (c)  Intimate 
fellowship  with  the  Father.  The 
knowledge  that  springs  out  of  a  con- 
fiding intimacy,  v.  22.  (d)  Indepen- 
dent of  the  world  but  dependent  on 
God.  v.  22.  Father  knows ;  that  is 
enough. 

IX.  The  worker's  opportunity,  vs. 
23-37.  (a)  As  he  journeyed,  v.  33. 
Christ  did  so  much  for  others  "as 
he  passed  by."  John  9:1.  (b)  He 
came  where  the  needy  man  was. 
v.  33.  (c)  He  saw  and  had  compas- 
sion,     (d)    Came    to    him.      v.    34; 


202 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


love  acting.  (e)  Bound  up  his 
wounds,  v.  34;  love  serving,  (f) 
Poured  in  oil  and  wine.  v.  34;  love 
soothing,  (g)  Set  him  on  his  beast, 
v.  34;  love  lifting,  (h)  Brought  him 
to  an  inn.  v.  34;  love  helping,  (i) 
Took  care  of  him.  v.  34 ;  love  in 
personal  ministry.  (j )  Committed 
him  to  another  with  the  command 
"take  care  of  him,"  v.  35 ;  love  pro- 
viding. 

X.  Work  and  wait.  vs.  38-41. 
Both  are  needful  for  the  symmetri- 
cal Christian  life.  Martha  worked 
so  much  that  she  had  no  time  to 
wait.  vs.  40,  41. — Rev.  T.  S.  Hender- 
son, D.D. 

Service 

I.  The  Need. — As  great  to-day  as 
when  Christ  spake  these  words.  Luke 
10:2. 

II.  The  command. — His  will  and 
wish  that  we  should  go  and  our  priv- 
ilege and  honor  to  go.     Matt.  10 :  16. 

III.  Our  reply  should  be. — More 
people  are  saying,  "I  cannot"  than 
"Here,  Lord,  send  me."     Isaiah  6 :  8. 

IV.  Our  preparation. — Many  do 
not  and  cannot  go  because  they  are 
unwilling  to  be  purged  of  the  things 
of  dishonor.    2  Tim.  2:20,  21. 

V.  The  results  here.  We  shall 
come  rejoicing,  bringing  our  sheaves 
with  us.     Psa.   126 :  5,  6. 

VI.  The  results  thereafter.  We 
shall  hear  the  Master  say,  "Well, 
done,  thou  good  and  faithful  serv- 
ants." Matt.  25 :  23. — Rev.  Charles 
Cullen   Smith. 

Faith 

Gen.  22:1-14. 

I.  Faith  tested,  v.  1,  2cf.  Heb. 
11:17. 

(1)  Was  necessary.  (1)  A  mark 
of  sonship.  Cf .  Heb.  12 :  7.  (2)  To 
refine  the  true  in  man.  (3)  To  prove 
loyalty  equal  to  the  heathen  (child 
worship.) 

(2)  The  test.  (1)  Surrender  of 
only  beloved  son.  (2)  Sacrifice.  Cf. 
Jno.  3 :  16.  Our  sacrifice  to  be. 
Rom.  12:1.  Our  sacrifice  to  be 
profitable.     Heb.   12:11. 

II.  Faith  triumphs,     vs.  3-10. 

(1)  Prompt  to  obey.  v.  3,  cf.  Psa. 
119:6-60;  Gal.  1:15,  16. 

(2)  Complete  confidence,  v.  7,  8, 
cf.  Heb.  11:19. 

III.  Faith  rewarded,     v.  11,  14. 
(1)   By  divine  intervention,    vs.  11, 

12.    Cf.  1  Cor.  10:13;  2  Pet.  2:9. 


(2)  By  divine  approval,     v.  12. 

(3)  By  special  divine  manifesta- 
tion,    v.  14-18. 

Note — God  spared  Isaac,  but  not 
his  own  Son. — W.  F.  Carey. 

An  Ideal  Soul  Winner 

Acts  8:1-40. 

Soul  winning  as  an  art  is  taught 
by  the  example  of  Philip,  an  ideal 
soul  winner.  Philip's  spiritual  life  is 
described  by  the  word  "full." 

I.  Full  of  goodness.  Acts  6:3. 
He  was  of  good  report  in  the  com- 
munity. People  had  confidence  not 
only  in  his  business  ability,  but  in 
his  consistent  character.  He  was 
right  with  God,  and  therefore  he  had 
power  with  men.  Crippled  work  is 
due    to    crippled    character. 

II.  Full  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Acts 
6:3.  The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  described  in  John  14:8-11.  When 
we  are  filled  with  the  Spirit,  our  lives 
will  become  channels  of  such  three- 
fold conviction  of  sinful  men.  The 
Holy  Spirit  develops  the  Christ 
within  us ;  creating  within  us  the 
Christ  hopes,  the  Christ  purposes, 
the  Christ  passions. 

III.  Full  of  wisdom.  Acts  6:3. 
A  soul  winner  must  be  wise.  Prov. 
9 :  30.  A  wise  man  will  be  a  soul 
winner,  for  it  pays  the  largest  inter- 
est on  the  time  and  talent  invested. 
Dan.  12 :  3.  Perhaps  in  no  form  of 
Christian  work  is  greater  wisdom, 
sanctified  sense,  and  heavenly  tact 
needed,  than  in  soul  winning. 

IV.  Full  of  obedient  faith,  vs. 
26,  27.  It  required  large  faith  and 
instant  obedience  to  leave  a  great  re- 
vival in  Samaria  (vs.  5-8),  and  go 
to  a  lonely  desert,  v.  26.  But  "he 
arose  and  went."  v.  27.  That  is 
faith  magnificent!  The  soul  winner 
must  not  argue  or  excuse,  hesitate 
or  refuse ;  he  must  obey.  The  Spirit 
that  commanded  Philip  to  go  unto 
that  desert  was  preparing  the  heart 
of  a  man  (vs.  27,  28)  to  receive 
Philip's  message. 

V  Full  of  prayer,  v.  26.  He  was 
a  man  of  prayer,  with  his  heart  open 
to  God,  or  he  never  would  have  heard 
God's  voice  commanding  him  to  go 
into  the  desert.  Prayer  not  only 
talks  with  God ;  it  listens  to  hear 
God's  voice,  and  then  obeys.  Prayer 
prevails  for  the  salvation  of  others. 
James  v.  16-20. 

VI.  Full  of  the  Scriptures,  vs.  30- 
35.     Philip  knew  the  Scriptures  well 


TWO  HUNDRED  OUTLINES  AND  SKETCHES     203 


enough  to  lead  that  eunuch  to  Christ, 
by  interpreting  to  him  the  53rd  chap- 
ter of  Isaiah.  Ignorance  of  the 
Scriptures  is  criminal  when  all  that 
is  required  is  work.  2  Tim.  2 :  15. 
You  must  know  how  to  handle  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit  (Eph.  6:17), 
or  it  is  powerless. 

VII.  Full  of  zeal.  v.  30.  He  ran, 
and  eagerly  engaged  the  eunuch  in 
conversation.  Better  have  zeal  with- 
out knowledge  than  knowledge  with- 
out zeal.  Best  of  all,  have  both.  Do 
not  let  a  man  go  to  hell  because  you 
have  not  been  introduced  to  him. 

VIII.  Full  of  Christ?  v.  35.  "He 
preached  unto  him  Jesus."  Jesus  is 
the  need  of  every  sinner;  Jesus 
should  be  the  theme,  the  aim,  the 
impulse,  the  inspiration  of  our  lives 
for  soul  winning.  Some  one  is  wait- 
ing for  you  to  preach  unto  him  Jesus ! 
— Rev.  T.  S.  Henderson,  D.D. 

Salute  No  Man  by  the  Way 

Luke  10:4. 

(1)   Be  absorbingly  in  earnest. 
^  (2)   Beware  of  social  conventionali- 
ties.    "Be  ye  separate." 

(3)  Have  but  one  purpose,  to  win 
men  to  Christ.  "This  one  thing  I 
do." — Rev.  John  Balcom  Shaw,  D.D. 

Voices  of  Jesus 

(1)  Shepherd's   voice — Follow  me. 

(2)  Master's    voice — Occupy. 

(3)  Saviour's  voice — Come  unto  me. 


(4)  Teacher's  voice — Learn  of  me. 

(5)  Bridegroom's  voice — Open  to 
me. 

(6)  Friend's    voice — Counsel    thee. 

(7)  Physician's  voice — Wilt  thou 
be  made  whole? 

Acquaintance  With  God 

"Acquaint  now  thyself  with  him, 
and  be  at  peace."     Job.  22 :  21. 

I.  The  duty  of  acquainting  our- 
selves  with   God. 

(1)  It  implies  an  habitual  practical 
knowledge. 

(2)  The  relation  he  bears  to  us. 

(3)  The  respect  we  owe  to  him. 

(4)  In  his  perfections.  Not  a  per- 
fect knowledge — that  is  impossible — 
for  a  creature  can  never  know  the 
Creator. 

We  should  know  him  as  the  crea- 
tor and  governor  and  preserver  of 
the  universe.  As  our  Redeemer — 
this  will  fill  us  with  confidence,  and 
"peace  and  joy  in  believing."  As 
our  Sanctifier.    As  our  Father. 

II.  The   season.      "Now." 

(1)  The   present    moment. 

(2)  The  day  of  trouble  and  afflic- 
tion. 

III.  The  result.     "Peace." 

(1)  God  is  the  God  of  Peace. 

(2)  Christ,  as  the  Prince  of  Peace, 
left  peace  as  a  bequest  to  his  dis- 
ciples. 

(3)  This  peace  will  influence  US 
under  all  circumstances. — P. 


IV 
THE  NEED  OF  EVANGELISM 
Urgent  Need  of  a  Revival 

The  Christian  church  had  its  origin  in  a  great  revival  of  religion. 
This  revival  continued  under  the  preaching  of  the  apostles  and 
their  successors,  until,  in  the  face  of  great  opposition  and  persecution, 
Christianity  became,  at  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  century  under 
Constantine  the  Great,  the  established  religion  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire. Paul  could  say,  in  the  first  chapter  of  his  Epistle  to  the  Colos- 
sians,  that  "the  gospel  is  come  unto  you,  even  as  it  is  in  all  the 
world  bearing  fruit  and  increasing." 

The  history  of  the  church  shows  that  God's  method  of  preserving, 
purifying  and  enlarging  his  church  has  been  by  epochs  of  spiritual 
revival.  These  revivals  were  needed  in  the  past,  and  a  great,  even 
world-wide  revival  is  needed  at  the  present  time. 

Personal  religion  is  at  a  low  ebb.  In  too  large  a  proportion  of 
church  members  it  is  not  conspicuous,  pronounced,  nor  aggressive. 
And  family  religion,  family  worship,  family  instruction  in  Bible 
truths  are  on  the  part  of  many  wholly  neglected.  The  prayer  meet- 
ing is  poorly  attended  and  the  house  of  God  is  not  crowded  as  it 
should  be  by  devout  worshippers.  A  great  part  of  the  masses  has 
repudiated  the  church,  and  even  many  intelligent  and  moral  people 
neglect  to  worship  by  observing  his  ordinances,  and  spend  their  Sab- 
baths in  visiting  and  recreation. 

In  a  word,  a  revival  of  religion  is  needed  all  over  our  land. 

If  such  a  revival  should  come,  it  must  be  brought  about  by  the 
free  almighty  Spirit  of  God.  Human  agencies,  however,  must  be 
employed ;  and  what  are  these  ?  They  are  preaching,  prayer,  praise, 
purity  of  moral  conduct,  and  promotion  by  liberal  giving  to  all  the 
enterprises  of  the  church. 

Able,  earnest  and  faithful  preaching  of  the  word  has  always  pre- 
ceded and  accompanied  every  revival  of  religion  from  the  day  of 
Pentecost  till  the  present  time.  A  true  revival  will  also  be  sustained 
by  a  higher  and  wider  morality  and  by  generous  giving  to  the  cause 
of  God.— Rev.  J.  P.  Robb,  D.D. 

The  Revival  We  Need 

We  want  a  revival  that  will  save  the  youth  "while  the  evil  days 
will  come  not."     The  age  calls   for  revivals  of  Bible  study,  not 

204 


THE  NEED  OF  EVANGELISM  205 

exegetical,  not  critical,  but  devotional  and  practical.  "Ye  err,"  said 
Christ  to  the  Pharisees,  "not  knowing  the  Scriptures  nor  the  power 
of  God."  How  much  error  and  evil  are  the  results  of  ignorance  of 
God's  words  and  will!  The  Bible  is  the  "only  infallible  rule  of 
faith  and  practice."  Here  we  find  divine  authority  for  doctrine  and 
duty.  In  God's  Word  is  the  fountain  of  truth  and  righteousness. 
To  that  source  must  our  age  return  to  cleanse  the  stream  of  thought 
and  life  from  the  corrupting  forces  of  to-day.  The  revival  we 
need  is  such  as  will  sink  into  the  heart  and  mind  of  our  times  the 
great  fundamental,  indisputable,  eternal  doctrines  concerning  sin 
and  salvation,  man  and  God,  the  life  that  now  is  and  the  life  that 
is  to  come. 

First  and  last  the  revival  of  to-day  must  be  a  revival.  It  must 
reach  the  individual,  domestic,  social,  commercial,  political  life.  It 
must  make  men  honest  with  their  fellow-men  and  God.  It  must 
make  men  keep  their  word  and  pay  their  debts,  and  love  their 
families,  and  perform  their  duties,  sincerely,  conscientiously,  faith- 
fully. It  must  bring  out  the  best  there  is  in  manhood,  womanhood, 
childhood.  It  must  hold  before  all  high  ideals,  and  spur  them  on 
to  their  realization.  It  must  inspire  all  with  strong  convictions  and 
the  courage  of  them.  Its  purifying  power  must  be  felt  in  parlor 
and  kitchen,  office  and  factory,  store  and  shop,  school  and  exchange 
—everywhere.  Young  and  old,  rich  and  poor,  high  and  low,  must 
yield  to  the  authority  of  the  golden  rule  of  Christian  conduct,  whose 
universal  sway  shall  usher  in  the  golden  rule  of  Christly  character- 
Obstacles  to  Revivals 

There  is  always  something  in  the  way  of  a  revival.  The  world, 
the  flesh  and  the  Devil  are  always  busy.  The  obstacles  are  different 
in  different  parishes.  Sometimes  they  are  exceedingly  small.  A 
very  simple  but  common  example  may  amuse  or  interest  young 
pastors.  Many  years  ago  I  was  pastor  of  a  church  where  there 
was  a  large,  efficient  choir.  But  they  were  sadly  frivolous.  There 
were  frequent  whispers,  merriment,  and  note-writing.  This  gave 
me  much  thought  and  anxiety.  I  was  sometimes  tempted  to  re- 
prove them  openly.  They  deserved  it.  But  I  said :  "This  will  repel 
them.  My  desire  is  to  win  them — to  win  them  first  to  myself,  and 
then  to  Christ;"  and  so  I  studied  the  case  and  looked  to  God  for 
wisdom.  And  here  came  in  my  rule  to  treat  with  special  attention 
those  persons  by  whom  I  was  annoyed.  I  called  upon  each  one  of 
them.  Without  allusion  to  their  trifling  I  spoke  to  them  of  my  love 
of  music,  and  of  my  connection  with  an  academic  and  collegiate 
choir.  I  spoke  to  them  of  my  high  appreciation  of  their  singing, 
and  of  our  obligation  to  them  on  this  account.  I  soon  after  ar- 
ranged a  series  of  evening  prayer-meetings  in  the  chapel.     I  then 


206  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

called  upon  the  choir  again,  invited  them  to  our  meetings,  and  re- 
quested them  to  sit  together  in  a  forward  seat  and  to  conduct  the 
singing.  A  large  number  of  persons  soon  after  united  with  our 
church.  Among  them  was  every  member  of  that  troublesome  choir. 
And  without  ever  suspecting  my  annoyance,  they  were  for  many, 
many  years  my  help  and  my  joy. — Pastor's  Testimony. 

Do  I  Want  a  Revival? 

When  special  evangelistic  meetings  were  being  planned  and 
prayed  for  in  the  Moody  Church  of  Chicago,  the  members  were  fur- 
nished with  a  leaflet  that  squarely  challenged  them  with  the  follow- 
ing five  questions : 

1.  Do  I  desire  a  revival  enough  to  pray  earnestly  and  constantly 
for  it? 

2.  Do  I  desire  a  revival  enough  to  search  my  heart  and  ask  God 
to  cast  out  from  it  all  displeasing  to  him? 

3.  Do  I  desire  a  revival  enough  to  attend  meetings  for  prayer  and 
take  my  part  in  them  even  at  a  sacrifice  of  pride,  comfort  and  con- 
venience ? 

4.  Do  I  desire  a  revival  enough  to  seek  opportunities  to  converse 
and  pray  with  the  unconverted? 

5.  Do  I  desire  a  revival  so  earnestly  as  to  continue  laboring  and 
praying  for  it,  even  if  the  answer  be  not  given  at  once? 

Planning  for  a  Revival 

Some  good  people  consider  it  almost  sacrilegious  to  use  any  such 
expression  as  the  above,  "Plan  for  a  revival !"  They  say,  "plan  for 
a  revival  as  though  it  was  a  matter  of  man's  wisdom  and  man's 
choice  when  we  know  that  Paul  may  plant  and  Apollos  water  but 
that  God  must  give  the  increase."  But  the  Bible  nowhere  says  that 
if  neither  Paul  plants  nor  Apollos  waters  God  will  give  the  increase. 
It  takes  it  for  granted  that  Paul  will  plant  and  Apollos  water,  that 
human  agencies  will  be  used,  that  human  brains  and  hearts  will  be 
enlisted,  that  human  plans  will  be  laid,  and  that  God  will  use  them 
for  his  glory.  God  gives  the  harvest,  but  the  farmer  ploughs  and 
harrows  and  sows  and  cultivates,  and  carries  out  numberless  plans 
to  insure  and  increase  his  crop.  God  gives  intellectual  strength  and 
vigor,  but  the  student  must  plan  for  ten  years  of  study  before  he 
is  ready  for  his  profession.  When  will  Christians  learn  that  God 
works  through  them,  and  uses  their  plans  to  accomplish  his  highest 
plans,  and  instead  of  dishonoring  him  by  organizing  and  planning 
and  using  their  very  best  efforts  they  are  really  giving  him  the 
highest  honor  of  implicit  obedience?  Plan  for  a  revival.  By  all 
means.     Plan  wisely,  persistently,  in  a  docile  and  teachable  spirit, 


THE  NEED  OF  EVANGELISM  207 

remembering  at  the  same  time  to  pray  as  though  it  all  depended  on 
God.  It  is  a  solemn  thought  for  every  Christian  to  face,  that  there 
is  no  church  of  Christ  in  this  broad  land  which  may  not  if  it 
chooses  have  this  coming  season  a  revival  of  religion,  pure  and  un- 
dented. 

Tact  in  a  Revival 

Rev.  Dr.  Jacob  Little,  of  Granville,  Ohio,  at  one  time  found  his 
church  in  a  low,  discouraged  condition  and  his  people  given  up  to 
worldliness.  In  describing  the  thing  he  says :  "The  young  people 
of  Granville  were  all  getting  crazy  with  ball-going.  They  would 
not  go  to  church.  What  now  can  be  done?  I  finally  laid  this 
plan.  First  of  all  I  found  the  most  influential  young  man  among 
the  ball-goers.  I  asked  him  who  was  the  most  interesting  young 
lady.  I  saw  the  two  together.  This  pleased  them.  I  then  broached 
my  plan  for  a  Bible  class,  with  them  for  managers.  The  thing  took. 
We  met  at  the  house  of  the  young  man's  father.  I  kept  clear  of 
the  church  and  the  minister's  house.  When  I  faced  that  company 
I  was  put  to  my  wits.  What  could  I  say  from  the  Bible  to  interest 
them?  The  Judge  slammed  his  door  between  us  and  his  office.  I 
finally  gave  them  a  little  history,  a  little  geography,  some  literature, 
a  good  deal  of  fun,  and  at  the  end  a  very  little  religion  that  should 
pinch  the  conscience.  The  next  time  more  came  and  the  Judge  left 
the  door  open  a  crack.  The  next  time  he  threw  the  door  wide  open 
and  turned  toward  us.  Before  spring  the  Judge  and  all  his  family 
were  converted  and  my  Bible  class  was  the  most  popular  thing  in 
Granville."  That  Bible  class  continued  while  the  Doctor  remained 
in  town  and  was  often  attended  by  two  hundred  and  fifty  persons. 

Prayer  for  Revival 

Pray  for  a  revival,  local,  national  and  world-wide. 

Just  prior  to  the  Founder's  Week  Conference  in  the  Moody  Bible 
Institute,  a  considerable  number  of  able  evangelical  leaders  through- 
out the  country  were  asked  to  indicate  briefly  why  God's  people 
should  pray  for  revival  in  the  body  of  Christ.  Their  replies  were 
read  at  the  Conference,  and  some  were  published  afterwards.  The 
following  unpublished  reply  was  one  of  the  strongest  received  (writ- 
ten by  T.  C.  Horton)  :  "The  condition  among  young  people  in  the 
church — of  which  I  have  made  a  careful  study  for  years — is  appal- 
ling. There  is  a  form  of  godliness,  but  a  recklessness  concerning 
spiritual  life.  The  inroads  of  the  moving  picture;  the  superficiality 
of  many  of  the  preachers  and  leaders  in  church  life,  and  the  vio- 
lation of  their  church  vows ;  the  appalling  conditions  existing  among 
young  people  in  our  public  schools  and  colleges, — is  enough  to  break 
one's  heart," 


208  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

The  foregoing  description — how  strangely  similar  to  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  period  that  immediately  preceded  the  great  revival  of 
1800  (as  told  by  C.  L.  Thompson  in  "Times  of  Refreshing")  : 
"Death  in  the  churches,  rottenness  in  public  morals,  infidelity  coming 
in  like  a  flood  upon  the  schools  and  the  thinkers  of  the  young  re- 
public." And  also  of  the  period  immediately  preceding  the  sweep- 
ing revival  of  1857  and  '58:  "It  was  a  time  of  reckless  expenditures, 
of  unparalleled  fever  for  riches  without  consideration  of  how  they 
were  obtained,  of  apathetic  conscience  and  wakeful  selfishness,  of 
coldness  and  deadness  in  the  Church  and  alarming  godlessness  outside 
of  it.  The  nation  seemed  drifting  in  the  same  direction  in  which  it 
had  gone  before  the  great  revival  of  1800.  Skepticism,  both  specula- 
tive and  practical,  pervaded  all  ranks  of  society.  We  were  becoming 
a  people  without  God  in  the  world." 

And  then,  in  both  cases,  not  through  evangelistic  appeal  but 
through  prayer,  came  the  same  kind  of  mighty  awakenings  that  ere 
long,  if  it  so  pleases  God,  we  are  once  more  to  see  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  America,  and  this  time  of  the  world.  And 
again  it  will  be  as  it  was  then :  "Everywhere  men  began  to  pray. 
They  had  no  words  for  each  other.  They  had  reached  the  ultimate 
of  human  resources.  Almost  unconsciously  they  began  to  cry  unto 
God,  unknown  to  each  other,  without  concert  of  effort  or  thought. 
East  and  West,  North  and  South,  the  people  thronged  the  churches 
and  halls,  not  for  preaching,  but  'for  Prayer' ;  and  tens  of  thousands 
were  swept  as  it  were  by  the  breath  of  God  into  the  kingdom." 

Are  you  longing  for  revival?  Are  you  praying  for  it?  Are  you 
believing  God  for  it?  Are  you  asking  others  to  join  you?  Keep 
praying  for  revival ;  God  will  answer.  According  to  the  Church's 
faith,  so  shall  it  be. — Sunday  School  Times. 

Evangelism  and  the  Bible 

The  term  evangel,  which  is  taken  from  the  Greek,  signified  good 
news  or  good  message.  The  Anglo-Saxon  was  godspel,  meaning 
goodspel,  and  in  Middle  English  it  became  gospel.  So  that  the 
Greek  word  evangel  and  the  English  word  gospel  mean  the  same. 
The  gospel  was  first  proclaimed  on  the  day  when  man  sinned  and 
fell.  When  they  were  drinking  of  their  bitter  cup ;  when  hope  was 
darkened  and  faith  was  awakened ;  when  pain  was  first  known, 
sorrow  first  felt,  the  promise  that  the  seed  of  the  woman  should 
bruise  the  head  of  the  serpent  was  the  best  news,  the  most  precious 
message,  the  real  gospel  of  that  hour.  Without  this,  all  would  have 
been  gloom  and  despair.  This  same  gospel  or  evangel  was  preached 
to  Abraham  when  it  was  promised  that  in  him  and  his  seed  should 
all  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed.  This  same  gospel  runs  through 
the  whole  Scriptures,  Old  and  New  Testaments,  to  the  very  last 


THE  NEED  OF  EVANGELISM  209 

passage,  where  it  is  said,  "The  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say,  Come. 
And  let  him  that  heareth  say  Come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst, 
come.  And  whosoever  will  let  him  come  and  drink  of  the  water  of 
life  freely."  The  gospel  is  therefore  the  message  of  God's  saving 
love.  It  is  news  to  those  who  have  never  heard  it.  It  is  a  precious 
message  to  all  who  hear  and  believe  it.  It  is  foolishness  to  the  un- 
believer, and  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  those  who 
believe.  The  purpose  of  the  gospel  is  therefore  two-fold:  to  save 
the  lost  and  persuade  them  to  embrace  the  salvation  provided  by 
God  in  Christ.  It  is  also  to  comfort  and  build  up  and  make  strong 
in  faith  those  who  have  already  believed.  The  same  message  which 
increases  the  love  and  faith  of  those  who  already  believe  is  very 
likely  to  reach  those  who  have  not  yet  believed.  We  are  of  the 
opinion  that  the  modern  tendency  to  think  and  act  and  preach  as 
though  a  different  message  was  necessary  to  reach  the  unbeliever, 
from  that  which  reaches  and  feeds  and  builds  up  the  believer,  is  a 
mistake.  The  same  message  of  God  may  at  the  same  time  reach  the 
converted  and  the  unconverted.  The  same  message  which  at  the 
communion  table  has  filled  the  soul  of  the  saint  to  overflowing  has 
often  melted  the  soul  of  the  sinner  to  repentance.  We  do  not  say 
that  there  are  no  individual  cases  which  require  personal  treatment, 
but  it  will  be  the  same  gospel,  though  differently  applied. 

The  evangel  can  be  found  nowhere  else  than  in  the  Bible.  Sci- 
ence does  not  know  it.  Philosophy  never  found  it.  The  Bible,  the 
Revelation  of  God,  alone  contains  it.  It  is  given  in  the  Bible  in  its 
best  and  most  effective  setting.  The  literary  preacher,  therefore, 
may  not  be  the  most  evangelistic  preacher.  He  may  entertain  and 
even  edify,  but  he  rarely  convinces,  or  stirs  those  deep  convictions 
of  the  soul  which  lead  to  repentance  and  salvation.  He  is  the 
strongest  evangel  who  uses  the  gospel  in  its  divine  setting.  This 
may  mean  the  setting  of  condemnation,  or  warning  of  the  wrath  of 
God,  or  tender  invitation,  or  encouragement,  instruction,  or  any  other 
setting  in  the  Bible,  and  this  Biblical  setting  is  always  the  best.  The 
common  illustration  is  a  means  of  bringing  the  gospel  and  its  setting 
down  to  the  mind  of  the  hearer,  whether  believer  or  unbeliever; 
but  an  illustration  without  a  gospel  message  is  a  hindrance.  The 
Bible,  then,  is  the  great  means  of  evangelism,  both  for  the  culture 
of  the  saints  and  the  rescue  of  the  sinner. 

The  power  of  evangelism  is  the  Holy  Spirit.  While  the  Bible  is 
the  essential  means  of  evangelism,  yet  the  Bible  is  not  the  power; 
that  resides  in  the  vital  act  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Chosen  men  may 
render  great  service,  but  only  the  Holy  Spirit  can  save  a  soul.  He 
alone  gives  the  new  birth.  He  alone  sanctifies  through  faith  and 
cooperation  those  who  have  been  born  again.  There  can  be  neither 
conversion  nor  revival  without  the  direct  sovereign  presence  and 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  is  a  person,  reasonable,  and  full  of 


210  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

love.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  very  sensitive  and  is  offended  at  misrep- 
resentation of  God's  Word.  He  has  given  no  promises  to  work 
with  anything  but  the  Word,  but  this  he  has  promised  to  bless.  A 
quickening  of  believers  usually  precedes  the  outpouring  of  God's 
Spirit  upon  the  unconverted.  Revival  and  the  new  birth,  regener- 
ation and  sanctification  usually  go  together. 

There  is  no  fixed  method.  It  may  be  congregational  or  it  may  be 
personal.  God  has  used  both  agencies.  Peter  accomplished  great 
results  with  one  sermon,  which  was  Biblical  and  loyal  to  Christ's 
death  and  resurrection.  Our  Lord  did  very  much  of  his  work  be- 
tween four  eyes,  while  he  also  addressed  the  multitude.  Some 
people  can  do  most  effective  personal  work  who  would  have  difficulty 
with  public  speaking,  and  vice  versa.  Some  have  both  gifts.  Let 
every  one  use  the  gift  which  God  has  given  him.  The  accompani- 
ments of  the  public  and  individual  utterances  should  be  devout 
honoring  of  God's  Word,  God's  name,  God's  house,  and  God's  prom- 
ise. There  is  no  place  for  sarcasm  in  exposing  evil  and  vehemence 
in  denouncing  sin.  But,  in  general,  reverence  and  honor  of  God's 
Word  and  Spirit  is  of  the  utmost  importance.  The  use  of  sensa- 
tionalism in  the  coarser  sense  may  win  the  person  to  the  evangelist, 
but  not  to  Christ.  It  may  gain  accessions  to  the  church,  but  will 
not  win  souls  to  eternal  life.  Prayer  and  the  spirit  of  prayer  is  one 
of  the  most  important  elements  in  the  evangelism.  When  the  people 
pray,  there  is  great  hope ;  but  a  dearth  of  prayer  means  death  among 
souls.  The  agencies  of  evangelism  in  the  order  of  importance  are 
the  work  in  the  family,  the  preaching  of  the  pulpit,  the  labor  of  the 
teacher,  and  the  special  meetings.  The  consecrated  father  and 
mother  come  first.  On  an  equal  with  them  is  the  faithful  preacher. 
A  strong  second  is  the  earnest  teacher ;  and  at  special  times  and  sea- 
sons, the  protracted  meetings. — D.  S.  K. 

Is  the  Fire  Going  Out? 

Paul  was  interested  in  Timothy  and  gave  him  good  advice.  On 
one  occasion  he  wrote,  saying:  "Stir  up  the  gift  of  God  which  is 
in  thee."  The  original  exhortation  has  reference  to  the  kindling  of 
a  fire,  or  starting  it  to  new  life  as  by  a  bellows.  See  that  you  kindle 
up  into  a  blaze  the  spiritual  gifts  which  you  have.  It  is  not  un- 
common to  compare  piety  to  a  flame  or  fire.  The  figure  of  speech 
here  used  means  to  cause  to  burn  more  brightly.  In  other  words, 
Paul  wanted  Timothy  to  use  all  proper  means  to  keep  the  flame  of 
pure  religion  burning  in  his  soul,  and  thus  increase  his  zeal  in  the 
cause  of  Christ. 

God's  gifts  in  us  need  to  be  cultivated  by  personal  care.  The 
tendency  of  the  flame  of  spiritual  life  untended  is  always  to  go  out.: 


THE  NEED  OF  EVANGELISM  211 

We  have  constant  need  for  watchfulness,  lest  we  grow  cold.  A 
garden  uncultivated  runs  to  weeds.  A  body  unfed  tends  toward 
death.  A  vessel  not  propelled  is  sure  to  drift.  A  fire  not  increasing  is 
going  out.  There  are  so  many  currents  to  carry  the  Christian  back 
that  only  constant  effort  can  keep  him  advancing.  The  captain  of 
a  sailing  vessel  coming  from  Cuba  thought  that  he  had  gained  sixty 
miles  one  stormy  day,  but  when  the  clouds  cleared  away  and  he  got 
his  reckoning  he  found  that,  instead,  he  had  lost  thirty.  It  was  due 
to  an  undercurrent  that  had  carried  him  back.  So  in  the  Christian 
life  we  are  liable  to  drift  by  undercurrents.  We  must  frequently 
take  our  bearings.     We  must  stir  up  the  energy  that  is  in  us. 

With  the  spiritual  fire  burning  low  we  are  in  a  most  unhappy  and 
useless  condition.  The  backslidden  Christian  finds  life  full  of  dis- 
tressing conditions.  This  is  what  Solomon  meant  when  he  said : 
"The  backslider  in  heart  shall  be  filled  with  his  own  ways."  He 
will  be  filled  with  ways  of  doubt.  Backsliding  is  how  doubt  begins. 
He  will  be  filled  with  ways  of  fault-finding.  Everything  looks 
wrong  when  the  heart  is  wrong.  He  will  be  filled  with  ways  of 
alienation.  He  is  almost  sure  to  drift  away  from  the  Church  and 
Christian  associations.  Then  he  will  blame  them,  rather  than  him- 
self. He  will  be  filled  with  ways  of  despair.  Being  filled  with  his 
"own  ways,"  and  not  God's  ways,  fills  him  with  despair;  and  this 
brings  spiritual  paralysis. 

But  whether  backsliders  or  not,  our  duty  is  to  "stir  up  the  gift  of 
God  which  is  in  us."  Kindle  up  the  fire!  Fan  the  flame!  This 
we  must  do  if  religion  is  not  to  be  a  dead  or  stationary  thing,  but 
active,  burning,  increasing.  We  must  continually  stir  up  the  gifts 
God  has  already  given.  Remember,  this  may  be  done  indirectly. 
You  may  warm  yourself  by  warming  others.  You  may  save  your- 
self by  saving  others,  as  did  the  Alpine  traveler  when  he  carried 
his  freezing  companion.    "He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise." — H. 

The  Cross  in  Modern  Life 

One  of  the  recognized  defects  of  a  certain  type  of  evangelism  is 
its  manifest  superficiality.  The  terms  in  which  we  often  hear  the 
call  to  the  religious  life  expressed  to-day  bear  a  marked  contrast  to 
the  conditions  laid  down  by  the  Master  for  those  who  sought  an 
entrance  to  his  Kingdom.  In  one  of  his  recent  addresses  before  a 
great  audience  in  Pittsburgh,  Gipsy  Smith  said  that  some  preachers 
have  come  to  the  place  where  they  hold  religion  so  cheap  that  it  is 
a  matter  simply  of  holding  up  one's  hand  in  a  religious  meeting  to 
be  counted.  In  his  appeal  at  the  close  of  this  sermon  he  said :  "The 
majority  of  people  want  to  dodge  cross-bearing.  They  don't  want 
privations,  suffering ;  danger.     They  don't  want  anything  that  would 


212  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

keep  them  awake  at  night.  How  many  of  you  are  willing  to  go  out 
and  help  a  fallen  woman?  You  are  ashamed  to  do  that,  but  you 
know  what  Jesus  said." 

Jesus  did  not  try  to  make  the  way  easy  in  order  to  attract  the 
crowds  to  his  standard.  His  appeal  was  rather  to  the  heroic.  He 
spoke  of  a  cross,  of  self-denial,  of  hardness.  The  soft  and  ease- 
loving  multitudes  walked  in  the  broad  slopes  that  lead  downward ; 
only  the  few  chose  the  difficult  path  to  higher  and  fuller  life. 

And  Jesus'  way  has  proved  the  true  way  to  win  the  world.  The 
noblest  souls  respond  most  readily  to  a  high  appeal.  Men  of  the 
finest  mettle  welcome  the  challenge  to  a  worthy  task,  no  matter  how 
difficult  or  perilous.  We  have  an  instinctive  feeling  that  that  which 
costs  us  little  is  not  worth  much.  It  is  the  men  who  have  spurned 
a  life  of  ease,  who  have  been  willing  to  endure  hardship,  to  pass 
through  the  fires  and  face  the  lions,  and  lay  down  their  lives  for 
the  truth,  that  have  captured  the  imagination  and  won  the  sympathy 
and  loyalty  of  thousands  in  every  great  forward  movement  of  the 
Church. 

Recent  events  have  shown  that  the  cross  has  still  its  ancient  ap- 
peal if  it  is  given  the  right  of  way.  Men  still  respond  to  the  heroic 
in  a  worthy  cause.  The  response  to  the  call  for  recruits  to  defend 
the  priceless  heritage  of  our  liberties  in  the  great  war  has  taught 
the  Church  a  never-to-be-forgotten  lesson  in  its  approach  to  men. 
If  the  terms  of  membership  in  the  Church  were  based  more  closely 
on  the  primary  appeal  of  the  Master,  the  Church,  even  if  numerically 
smaller,  would  be  a  greater  force  in  the  world.  "To  do  its  work 
in  the  world  the  Church  need  not  always  be  numerically  large,  but 
it  must  always  have  moral  quality.  In  its  heart  must  burn  the  fire 
of  spiritual  devotion.  Until  Christians  are  ready  to  make  of  their 
bodies  living  sacrifices,  the  Church  will  make  no  appeal  to  strong 
men  and  women  of  the  world." — Presbyterian  Witness. 

Revival  Under  Nehemiah 

During  the  dispersion  of  the  Jews  one  lone  man  undertook  a 
stupendous  and  seemingly  hopeless  project.  He  was  cup-bearer  to 
the  great  king  Artaxerxes.  In  the  face  of  the  fiercest  opposition 
he  would  go  up  and  rebuild  the  walls  of  his  beloved  Jerusalem  and 
revive  the  true  worship  of  God.  But  the  king  would  naturally  op- 
pose this  step.  First  then  he  weeps  and  mourns  and  fasts  and  prays 
and  confesses  his  sins  and  pleads  God's  promises.  The  great  wis- 
dom of  this  step  will  appear.  He  did  not  seek  the  help  of  the  king, 
but  he  entered  his  presence  with  a  sad  countenance.  Then  said 
the  king:  "Why  is  thy  countenance  sad?  This  is  nothing  else  but 
sorrow  of  heart."  Then  was  he  sore  afraid,  but  he  prayed  to  God 
and  told  the  king  all  his  desire,  and  asked  for  protectors  and  letters, 


THE  NEED  OF  EVANGELISM  213 

and  all  needed  means  of  rebuilding  the  city.  Three  days  after  his 
arrival  at  Jerusalem  he  went  out  secretly  by  night  to  survey  the 
broken  walls  and  the  burned  gates.  He  then  opened  the  matter  to 
the  remnant  of  the  Jews  that  were  there  "in  great  affliction  and 
reproach."  Then,  armed  with  sword,  javelin,  and  trumpet,  they 
went  to  the  work  amid  the  taunts  and  threats  of  outside  enemies. 
In  fifty-two  days  the  walls  were  finished.  Then  came  the  most 
difficult  task  of  all — a  revival  of  pure  religion.  For  eight  days  all 
the  people  were  gathered  in  the  street.  And  they  made  themselves 
booths.  They  were  instructed  and  counselled.  "And  all  the  people 
wept  when  they  heard  the  words  of  the  Law"  (Neh.  8:9).  They 
kept  a  solemn  fast,  and  they  confessed  their  sins.  "And  when  Ezra 
blessed  the  Lord,  the  Great  God,  all  the  people  answered  Amen, 
Amen,  with  lifting  up  their  hands.  And  they  bowed  their  heads  and 
worshipped  the  Lord  with  their  faces  to  the  ground."  And  so  the 
people  are  consecrated  to  God  and  his  worship  is  restored.  In  this 
sublime  history  there  is  not  one  ostensible  miracle.  It  is  God  hear- 
ing prayer.  It  is  God  giving  to  Nehemiah  not  mere  business  ability, 
but  the  most  consummate  tact  and  the  most  exhaustless  energy  in 
worldly  and  spiritual  projects.     So  will  God  give  wisdom  to  us. 


SOME)  METHODS  IN  EVANGELISM 
A  New  Every  Member  Canvass 

A  large  proportion  of  all  the  churches  in  this  country  make  a 
regular  Every  Member  Canvass  for  subscriptions  to  church  support 
and  to  missions  and  benevolences.  But  why  should  not  this  method 
for  securing  money  suggest  a  somewhat  similar  method  for  securing 
new  members?  We  suggest  an  Every  Member  Evangelistic  Cam- 
paign. A  letter  from  a  pastor,  telling  of  plans  for  special  services 
and  asking  help  in  prayer,  had  in  it  this  sentence :  "We  have  every 
man,  woman  and  child  in  C card-indexed,  with  information  con- 
cerning them.     Personal  workers  are  already  at  work." 

An  American  school  which  had  spent  considerable  money  in  ad- 
vertising, undertook  to  find  out  from  its  students  how  many  of  them 
had  come  to  it  through  its  advertisements.  To  the  great  surprise 
of  the  management,  only  three  or  four  students  were  found  who 
had  so  much  as  seen  them.  They  had  come  to  the  school  because 
their  friends  told  them  about  it.  A  one-win-one  campaign  is  what 
we  are  suggesting. 

The  heart  must  be  prepared  for  personal  work  by  prayer.  Prayer 
will  put  the  heart  in  proper  condition  for  personal  work,  and  it  will 
often  prepare  the  heart  of  a  person  whom  we  seek  to  help  for  the 
personal  work  or  effort.  If  we  go  to  personal  work  after  earnest, 
definite  prayer,  God  will  often  open  up  an  unexpected  way  for  us, 
and  we  will  often  find  the  person  much  more  ready  to  receive  us 
kindly  and  to  talk  of  the  soul's  salvation  than  we  anticipated. 

Personal  conversation  is  the  most  effective  method  of  personal 
work.  "Let  him  that  heareth  say,  Come."  "As  ye  go,  preach." 
Some  souls  are  brought  to  Christ  seemingly  only  when  approached 
by  individuals. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  pastors  in  this  country  recently  said: 
"I  laid  my  hand  upon  the  shoulder  of  a  noble  specimen  of  young 
manhood  and  asked  him  if  he  was  a  Christian.  I  had  not  seen  him 
to  know  him  or  to  separate  him  from  the  crowd  before  that  moment. 
He  replied,  with  an  evident  desire  to  detain  me,  'No,  sir;  I  have 
heard  you  preach  every  Sunday  for  seven  years  without  one  excep- 
tion, but  I  am  not  a  Christian  yet.'  He  is  now  one  of  the  most 
faithful  members  of  the  church.  What  seven  years  of  preaching 
had  failed  to  do,  five  minutes  of  heart-contact  and  personal  relation 
accomplished." 

The  right  way  to  win  souls  is  to  go  after  them. 

214 


SOME  METHODS  IN  EVANGELISM  215 

"Mr.  Moody,  what  is  the  way  to  reach  the  masses  with  the 
Gospel ?"  "Go  for  them !"  was  the  quaint  and  characteristic  answer; 
and  it  expresses  the  life  principle  of  Dwight  L.  Moody. 

A  missionary  was  summoned  before  a  magistrate.  The  following 
dialogue  developed :  Official — "We  hear  that  you  have  been  inviting 
Moslems  to  become  Christians."  Missionary — "It  is  true."  Offi- 
cial— "Whom  do  you  invite?"     Missionary — "I  invite  you,  sir." 

That  is  the  real  spirit  of  soul  winning. 

I  wonder  if  we  appreciate  how  great  is  the  crime  of  unconcern  so 
many  of  us  show. 

Some  years  ago  a  well-known  Christian  was  stopped  on  the  street 

by  a  friend,  with  the  question,  "Mr.  R ,  how  long  have  we  known 

each  other?"  After  a  moment's  thought,  he  replied :  "I  should  think 
about  fifteen  years."  "You  claim  to  be  a  Christian,  I  believe." 
"Why,  yes,  I  do."  Then  his  friend  asked,  "Do  you  really  believe 
I  must  accept  Christ  as  my  Saviour,  if  I  am  to  be  saved  ?"  "Yes,  I 
do  believe  that."  Then  the  still  more  significant  question,  "Do  you 
care  whether  I  am  saved  or  not?"  "Why,  certainly  I  do."  "Well," 
said  the  friend,  "I  don't  want  to  hurt  your  feelings,  but  I  do  not 
believe  it.  As  you  say,  we  have  been  good  friends  for  fifteen  years; 
yet  in  all  these  years  you  have  never  once  mentioned  Jesus  Christ  to 
me.  You  are  a  leading  business  man  of  this  city,  and  if  you  had 
ever  told  me  that  Christ  was  precious  to  you,  and  that  he  had  a 
right  to  my  life,  and  that  I  needed  him  as  my  Saviour,  I  would  have 
listened  to  you  with  respect.  But  you  never  did  it.  We  have  talked 
about  everything  else  under  heaven,  but  never  once  have  you  men- 
tioned Christ  to  me.  Of  course,  when  I  ask  if  you  care  whether  I 
am  saved,  or  not,  you  say  you  do ;  but  don't  you  see  that  if  you  had 
really  cared  one  least  little  bit,  you  would  have  said  something  to 
me  about  it  in  fifteen  years?" 

With  shame  and  startled  surprise,  as  he  faced  the  fact  of  his 
actual  unconcern,  however  much  he  might  have  professed  to  care, 
the  Christian  confessed  that  he  had  often  dodged  and  shirked  op- 
portunities that  God  had  put  right  in  his  way  to  speak  for  Christ. 
But  that  incident  marked  the  beginning  of  a  great  change  in  his  life, 
for  thereafter  he  became  a  great  winner  of  souls. 

An  experience  of  George  Sherwood  Eddy  is  thus  mentioned  in 
the  Interchurch  Bulletin:  Mr.  Eddy  told  of  a  predicament  he  was 
placed  in  by  a  rule  made  by  the  Chinese  of  Canton  requiring  "a 
ticket"  before  admission  into  a  Christian  meeting  was  permitted. 
"The  ticket  in  this  instance  was  not  a  piece  of  card-board,  but  was  a 
person  prepared  to  receive  the  message  of  Christianity,"  said  Mr. 
Eddy.  "I  pushed  my  way  through  the  crowd  and  presented  myself 
at  the  door.  The  usher  stopped  me  and  asked  me  if  my  ticket  was 
with  me.  'Ticket?'  I  asked  in  surprise.  'Why,  I  am  the  speaker.' 
'We  know  you  are  the  speaker,  Mr.  Eddy,  but  the  rule  is  that  no  one 


216  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

is  to  be  admitted  without  a  ticket,  and  .we  can  make  no  exception 
in  your  case.'  "  Mr.  Eddy  was  nonplussed.  He  then  decided  to 
meet  the  conditions.  He  went  across  the  river,  sought  out  Sun  Yat 
Sen,  the  first  President  of  the  China  Republic,  urged  him  to  ac- 
company him  to  the  meeting,  and  with  this  distinguished  Chinaman 
as  his  "ticket"  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  past  the  usher.  Later  he 
gave  an  evangelistic  address. — H. 

A  Suggestion 

Objective:  Reaching  church  slackers;  the  re-winning  of  souls; 
re-enlisting  the  delinquent  and  their  incorporation  into  the  efficient 
body  of  the  church. 

Method:  1.  Definite  list  made;  districted,  assigned  for  repeated 
calls  by  organized  workers,  men  and  women,  and  by  pastor. 

2.    Simultaneous  Re-Enlistment  Day  in  the  churches. 

Form  Prayer  Circles 

Dr.  Andrew  Murray  wrote  a  book  called  the  "Ministry  of  Inter- 
cession," in  which  he  plead  for  more  personal  prayers.  As  Christ 
the  Great  Intercessor,  the  risen,  ascended  and  enthroned  Christ,  ever 
lives  and  prays  for  us,  so  all  his  followers  should  become  interces- 
sors, praying  for  those  for  whom  Christ  died.  In  every  church  there 
should  be  prayer  circles,  with  definite  purpose,  to  consist  of  but  two 
kinds  of  souls — "Where  one  or  two  are  agreed  as  touching  anything 
it  shall  be  done  for  them."  Three  may  pledge  themselves  for  con- 
cert-prayer— "Where  two  or  three  are  met  together  I  will  be  with 
them."  Every  person  in  the  congregation  should  thus  become  an 
object  of  intercession. 

And  when  all  believers  become  intercessors  they  will  also  be  fitted 
for  witnesses.  They  plead  with  men  in  God's  behalf  who  plead  with 
God  in  behalf  of  men.  Let  the  desire  for  personal  salvation  of  some 
particular  soul  flame  in  persistent  prayer,  and  that  same  spiritual 
longing  will  flame  words  of  appeal  for  the  sake  of  Christ. 

Enlisting  Helpers 

The  following  card  has  been  used  effectively  by  many  pastors. 
It  is  supposed  to  be  distributed  at  the  proper  time  through  the 
Church,  the  members  generally  being  asked  to  take  it  and  return  it 
to  the  Pastor  at  their  early  convenience.  On  one  side  of  the  card 
is  printed  the  following,  with  the  pastor's  name  signed : 

Dear  Friend:  I  am  persuaded  that,  as  a  member  of  the  church, 
you  must  have  in  mind  at  least  some  one  person  for  whom  you  are 


SOME  METHODS  IN  EVANGELISM  217 

concerned,  and  whom  you  would  like  to  see  come  to  Christ.  There 
is  no  question  but  that  your  burden  would  be  easier  to  bear  if  you 
had  the  consciousness  that  some  one  was  praying  with  you.  I,  there- 
fore, would  like  to  suggest  that  you  write  on  the  other  side  of  this 
card  the  name  and  address  of  the  person  or  persons  in  whom  you 
are  especially  interested  along  this  line,  and  that  you  sign  your  own 
name  in  the  place  indicated.  I  will  agree  to  pray  with  you  for  all 
these,  and  also  agree  that  your  name  is  not  in  any  way  to  be  used 
in  connection  with  any  work  which  I  may  do  personally  with 
them. 


Pastor. 

Mr.  Moody  used  to  say  that  it  was  far  better  to  set  ten  men  to 
work  than  for  one  to  attempt  to  do  the  work  of  ten  men.  No 
greater  blessing  could  come  to  a  church  than  that  the  members 
should  be  inspired  to  enter  upon  some  special  service.  Each  pastor 
would  be  more  effective  if  he  could  know  that  his  people  were 
actively  aroused  to  the  duty  of  personal  evangelism  and  were  en- 
gaged in  direct  effort  to  reclaim  the  lapsed  church  members  and  to 
win  the  unsaved  to  Christ. — Rev.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  D.D. 

Methods  in  Revival  Work 

There  are  no  machine  methods  that  will  certainly  produce  revivals 
or  be  effective  in  their  conduct.  Much  more  depends  upon  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Holy  Spirit  than  upon  methods.  With  his  help  almost  any 
methods  will  be  successful.  Yet  we  are  not  to  despise  methods,  for 
God  works  through  instrumentalities,  and  he  has  blessed  some  men 
and  some  methods  more  than  he  has  others.  There  are  two  mistakes 
that  we  should  carefully  avoid.  We  must  not  depend  upon  any 
men  or  any  methods.  God  and  his  Spirit  and  his  Word  are  our 
reliance.  We  must  not  dictate  to  God,  nor  limit  him  in  his  choice 
of  instruments  and  methods. 

Because  some  have  been  truly  converted  who  have  come  to  the 
front  seats  as  inquirers  we  are  not  to  imagine  that  any  sanctity  at- 
taches to  those  seats,  or  that  God  is  any  more  willing  to  save  there 
than  elsewhere.  Because  pastors  are  the  wisely  appointed  leaders  of 
the  flock  we  must  not  put  conditions  on  the  Lord  and  tell  him  that 
if  he  does  not  save  our  people  through  our  instrumentality,  no 
neighboring  pastor  or  evangelist  shall  come  to  our  help.  If  God 
blesses  some  churches  with  a  regular  and  moderate  growth  they 
should  not  be  suspicious  because  in  other  churches  persons  are  con- 
verted by  scores,  or  even  by  thousands,  as  on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 
Christians  whose  ability  and  goodness  are  unchallenged  sometimes 
seem  to  hinder  the  cause  they  love.     They  are  willing  and  anxious 


2i8  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

that  God  should  convert  men  if  he  will  only  do  it  in  ways  to  which 
they  and  their  fathers  have  been  accustomed ;  but  they  are  suspicious 
of  any  other  measures.  Now  God  is  a  Sovereign  and  has  a  great 
many  methods  of  reaching  the  hearts  of  men  for  their  conversion 
and  revival,  and  if  any  church  or  any  minister  dictates  to  him  that 
he  must  bless  only  the  one  method  to  which  they  have  been  ac- 
customed probably  he  will  not  conform  to  their  traditions.  Some 
years  of  experience  and  observation  convince  me  that  this  is  one 
important  reason  why  in  some  churches  drouth  prevails  and  revivals 
are  the  rare  exceptions.  They  pray  and  work  and  wonder  why 
God  passes  them  by.  They  do  not  honor  his  sovereignty.  They 
bind  his  free  and  wondrous  working  to  the  narrow  limits  of  their 
wisdom  and  their  traditions. 

What  methods  have  been  owned  of  God,  so  that  we  may  expect 
his  blessing  on  their  use? 

God  has  blessed  the  preaching  of  the  truth  as  an  important  means 
of  preparing  the  way  for  revivals,  and  for  conducting  them. 

What  kinds  of  truth  have  been  thus  effective?  Those  sermons 
that  have  been  skimmed  from  the  daily  papers?  Those  that  are 
evolved  from  the  columns  of  crimes  and  accidents,  or  from  science, 
and  history  and  poetry?  Those  methods  of  preaching  may  be  inter- 
esting. But  if  the  aim  of  the  preacher  is  to  lead  to  Christ  as  well 
as  to  attract  hearers,  and  to  secure  conversions  rather  than  compli- 
ments, the  great  bulk  of  preaching  will  not  be  of  that  kind.  We 
should  aim  rather  to  present  those  truths  that  tend  to  awaken 
faith  in  God  and  in  the  Bible.  We  should  aim  to  strengthen  faith 
in  God's  promises  to  those  who  pray,  and  lead  Christians  to  con- 
secration and  to  an  expectation  of  God's  help.  The  preacher  must 
honor  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  make  him  known  in  his  character  and  his 
work.  He  will  strive,  as  Peter  did  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  to 
deepen  conviction  of  sin  and  then  will  hold  up  Christ  as  a  Saviour. 
He  may  not  find  this  preaching  popular;  but  if  these  truths  are 
kindly  and  intelligently  presented  and  are  welcomed  in  any  congre- 
gation, the  Lord  will  certainly  bless  that  church  with  frequent  and 
gracious  revivals. 

God  has  also  honored  the  method  of  holding  frequent  and  repeated 
services  for  prayer  and  preaching. 

Yet  he  is  not  confined  to  this  method.  There  have  been  in  rare 
cases  revivals  and  rich  ingatherings  where  only  the  ordinary  services 
have  been  held. 

There  is  a  true  philosophy,  however,  underlying  this  method  of 
holding  repeated  services.  Impressions  are  often  made  on  the 
Sabbath  and  they  are  wiped  out  completely  by  the  six  busy  days 
of  the  week.  During  special  services,  this  impression  is  repeated  on 
Monday  evening,  and  deepened  on  Tuesday  and  the  following  even- 
ings.    In  this  way,  though  there  was  no  interest  at  first,  the  atten- 


SOME  METHODS  IN  EVANGELISM  219 

tion  is  gained,  and  attention  deepens  into  conviction,  and  conviction 
leads  to  decision  and  conversion. 

Churches  often  make  a  mistake  in  being  afraid  to  begin  special 
services  unless  there  is  already  manifestation  of  interest.  If  there 
are  "indications,"  they  will  go  forward ;  if  not  they  will  wait.  That 
may  be  walking  by  sight,  and  not  by  faith.  The  widow  woman,  in 
obedience  to  the  command  of  Eiisha  and  in  reliance  on  his  promises 
sent  out  for  the  empty  earthen  vessels  when  there  were  no  indi- 
cations that  her  one  pot  of  oil  would  overflow.  If  she  had  waited 
for  "indications,"  doubtless  there  would  have  been  none.  The  dis- 
ciples were  in  one  accord  in  prayer  and  supplication,  in  obedience 
to  Christ's  command  and  promise  when  as  yet  there  were  no  indi- 
cations of  the  Pentecostal  blessing.  I  have  known  many  occasions 
when  there  were  no  special  indications  of  a  coming  blessing  and  the 
outlook  seemed  almost  hopeless ;  and  yet  God  has  blessed  the  repeated 
presentation  of  his  truth,  till  the  attention  was  compelled  and  Chris- 
tians were  revived.  If  the  members  of  any  church  will  gather 
around  the  pastor  prayerfully,  while  the  truth  is  presented  by  him 
night  after  night  in  a  warm,  earnest,  believing  manner,  I  firmly 
believe  that  God  will  bless  that  Church  with  a  revival. 

Sometimes  there  are  great  advantages  in  inviting  a  neighboring 
pastor  or  an  evangelist  to  do  most  of  the  preaching,  as  that  releases 
the  pastor  to  do  much  personal  work  for  which  he  is  well  qualified. 

God  has  blessed  various  methods  of  asking  the  thoughtful  to  mani- 
fest their  interest. 

We  do  our  churches  harm  if  we  dare  to  dictate  to  God  that  he 
must  deal  with  inquirers  only  in  ways  to  which  we  have  been  ac- 
customed. A  young  man  just  from  the  seminary  became  assistant 
pastor  of  a  large  church  in  a  Western  city.  The  pastor  was  an  able 
man,  but  was  in  feeble  health.  The  young  man,  with  enthusiasm  of 
youth,  pressed  those  truths  that  would  naturally  lead  to  a  revival. 
Soon  there  was  an  interest  manifested  in  the  Sabbath-school,  and 
two  or  three  meetings  were  appointed  for  the  children  and  young 
people,  and  the  interest  deepened.  He  felt  strongly  that  it  was  best 
to  ask  those  to  rise  who  wished  to  become  Christians.  He  knew 
that  that  method  had  never  been  tried  in  that  church,  and  that  the 
Pastor  and  Session  disapproved  of  it.  What  could  he  do?  He 
took  the  responsibility,  and  gave  the  invitation,  and  six  young  people 
rose.  He  went  home  and  told  the  pastor;  but  the  success  had  justi- 
fied the  attempt,  and  the  pastor  said  nothing  against  it.  and  after- 
wards, when  he  was  able  to  attend  the  meetings,  he  sometimes  used 
the  same  method.  During  some  union  meetings  we  followed  the 
method  of  our  Methodist  brethren  and  invited  inquirers  to  come  to 
the  front  seats.  There  were  good  results,  and  I  never  knew  of  any 
harm.  In  another  series  of  union  meetings  the  lecture  room  was 
used  for  the  inquirers.     In  another  place,  after  the  sermon,  an  op- 


220  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

portunity  was  given  for  any  to  retire  who  wished ;  but  all  were  in- 
vited to  remain  who  were  willing  that  the  pastor  should  talk  with 
them  on  the  subject  of  personal  religion.  It  matters  not  so  much 
what  method  is  employed,  as  that  some  way  be  taken  to  meet  in- 
quirers personally  for  their  instruction.  It  is  our  duty  not  only  to 
preach,  but  to  press  them  to  an  immediate  decision  for  Christ,  and 
then  lead  them  to  a  public  confession  of  his  name. — Rev.  H.  M.  M. 

Commit  'Em 

Acts  13:43;  18:4.    Cor.  5:11.    ljno.  3:19. 

Several  years  ago  at  Lake  Geneva  Student  Conference,  I  was 
asked  by  Mr.  Escobar,  a  Mexican  student,  if  I  would  not  speak  to 
the  Latin  American  delegates  who  were  there  as  guests  of  the  con- 
ference. 

"What  shall  I  say  to  them?"  I  inquired. 

"Commit  'em,  commit  'em,"  was  his  answer. 

After  a  brief  talk  I  "committed  'em,"  23  young  men  expressing 
their  decision  on  a  paper  after  I  had  left. 

"How  many  were  there,  Mr.  Escobar?"  I  afterward  asked  him. 

"Twenty-three,"  was  his  reply. 

The  next  year  I  was  again  asked  to  address  the  same  delegation 
of  Latin-American  students  by  Mr.  Escobar.  And  to  my  inquiry 
as  to  what  I  should  say  he  again  exhorted  me  to  "commit  'em." 

"How  about  the  23  that  were  committed  last  time?" 

"Oh,  I  visit  the  Latin-American  Students  in  the  colleges  of 
United  States  and  600  have  signed  the  paper  declaring  their  ac- 
ceptance of  Jesus  Christ." — Bishop  Theodore  S.  Henderson. 

It  is  good  business  to  commit  'em. 

Revival  Methods 

The  best  hand-book  on  revivals  is  the  Book  of  Acts.  If  you 
desire  a  revival  in  your  church,  a  God-inspired,  God-continued,  and 
God-approved  revival  you  can  have  it  by  following  out  the  program 
in  Acts  19. 

I.  Secure  a  company  of  believers,  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  as 
a  saving  remnant.  Vs.  1-7.  Paul  secured  twelve  laymen  in 
Ephesus,  God  has  always  saved  by  a  remnant,  Isa.  1 : 9.  God  would 
have  saved  Sodom  if  there  had  been  a  faithful  remnant.  Gen. 
18 :  23-33 ;  Pentecost  was  made  possible  on  the  human  side,  by  a 
faithful  remnant  of  120.  Acts  1 :  13-15.  Every  revival  has  been 
inaugurated  by  the  prayers  and  practice  of  a  Spirit-filled  remnant. 

II.  Public  services,  (a)  Where  they  were  held.  (1)  In  the 
synagogue.  V.  8.  The  regularly  stated  place  of  worship  was  first 
used.     Some  things  in  the  church  are  not  to  be  commended,  but 


SOME  METHODS  IN  EVANGELISM  221 

Christ  founded  the  church  to  accomplish  his  work.  Revivals  can 
be,  and  ought  to  be  conducted  by  the  church.  (2)  In  the  school  of 
Tyrannus.  V.  9.  Daily  meetings  were  held  for  two  years  in  this 
public  hall.  Christ  preached  in  the  temple  and  out  of  it.  If  the 
people  will  not  come  to  the  church,  we  must  take  the  church  to 
them.  The  command  of  Christ  is,  "Go  out  and  bring  them  in." 
Luke  14:  21.  The  problem  is  to  get  a  hearing  for  Christ  among  the 
unsaved;  get  a  hearing,  and  you  get  a  revival.  Go  where  you  can 
get  a  hearing!  (b)  The  message  in  the  meetings.  It  is  one  thing 
to  get  a  hearing;  the  next  problem  is  what  to  give  the  people  when 
you  secure  a  hearing.  Notice  what  Paul's  message  was.  (1)  "The 
things  concerning  the  Kingdom  of  God."  V.  8.  Not  politics,  nor 
literature,  nor  science,  but  the  Kingdom  of  God.  (2)  The  word  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.  V.  10.  Christ  was  the  theme  of  his  preaching 
everywhere.  1  Cor.  2:2.  (3)  "Kept  back  nothing  that  was  profit- 
able." Acts  20:20.  Not  pleasure,  but  profit,  was  his  object.  (4) 
"The  whole  counsel  of  God."  Acts  20 :  27.  Sin  as  well  as  salvation, 
the  future  as  well  as  the  present. 

III.  The  spirit  of  the  messenger,  (a)  Tenderest  compassion; 
"with  tears."  Acts  20:  31.  Not  with  professional  courtesy,  but  with 
personal  love,  (b)  Persevering  industry ;  "night  and  day."  Acts 
20:  31.    Not  by  spasm,  but  by  patient,  persistent  labor. 

IV.  Personal  work.  Acts  20:20,  21.  He  went  from  house  to 
house  pleading  with  the  people  to  accept  Christ.  Personal  contact 
focuses  the  public  message  upon  the  individual  life.  Pray  and  labor 
for  a  revival  of  individual  work  for  individuals  in  your  church  and 
community. 

V.  Results,  (a)  All  heard  the  word.  V.  10.  (b)  Some  were 
hardened  and  disobedient.  V.  9.  (c)  Many  repented,  believed, 
and  confessed  Christ.  V.  18-20.  (d)  "No  small  stir;"  holy  con- 
fusion. V.  23,  29.  (e)  Some  were  mad.  V.  28.  (f)  Epistle  to 
the  Ephesians.  Lord,  multiply  such  revivals. — T.  S.  Henderson, 
D.D. 

Evangelistic  Program  for   Churches 

1.  A  family  altar  in  every  home  and  daily  intercession  for  the 
children  and  the  church. 

2.  A  neighborhood  survey  by  every  congregation  for  the  purpose 
of  discovering  the  number  of  unsaved  persons  in  their  community, 
and  fixing  a  definite  goal. 

3.  A  definite,  prayerful,  persistent  effort  for  the  saving  of  souls 
by  every  organization  in  each  church. 

4.  The  organization  of  prayer  circles  and  personal  workers'  leagues 
in  every  congregation.  A  more  aggressive  personal  efTort — man  to 
man — woman  to  woman — in  seeking  to  bring  them  to  Christ. 


222  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

5.  The  night  service  especially  made  thoroughly  evangelistic,  with 
appeals  by  the  pastor  and  definite  efforts  to  secure  immediate  de- 
cision. 

6.  Prayerful  and  faithful  instruction,  and  a  constant  effort  made 
by  pastors,  officers  and  teachers  to  secure  an  acceptance  of  Christ 
by  every  member  of  the  Sabbath  school  as  they  reach  the  age  of  dis- 
cretion. 

7.  A  definite  season  set  apart  at  least  once  each  year  for  protracted 
preaching,  prayer  and  work  for  soul  winning. 

8.  Careful  conserving  of  forces,  and  following  up  of  non-resident 
members. — Rev.  W.  H.  Miley,  D.D. 


Soul  Re-winning 

It  is  doubtful  if  our  churches  are  over  fifty  per  cent,  efficient. 
Are  they  that?  In  the  matter  of  attendance  alone,  are  our  members 
fifty  per  cent,  regular?  The  Evangelistic  Committee  suggests  an  im- 
mediate campaign  for  the  round-up  of  slackers.  We  suggest  that 
each  pastor  make  a  list  of  his  members  in  good  standing;  we  mean 
those  who  are  in  attendance,  who  support  the  church,  and  who  take 
part  in  its  work.  We  suggest  that  another  list  be  made  of  those  who 
are  delinquent — Slackers.  Then  let  the  emphasis  for  the  present 
season  be  placed  upon  the  reaching  of  these,  the  securing  of  their 
enlistment,  the  incorporation  of  them  into  the  efficient  body  of  the 
church. 

For  a  time,  let  us  lay  our  emphasis  in  evangelism,  not  so  much  on 
the  winning  of  souls  as  upon  THE  RE-WINNING  OF  SOULS. 
With  the  aid  of  the  official  boards  and  other  capable  workers,  men 
and  women  alike,  let  us  see  that  the  delinquent  are  called  upon, 
repeatedly  called  upon,  rounded-up  for  the  Army  of  Christ.  "Killed 
in  action"  is  a  coveted  crown.  But  "Killed  by  inaction"  is  a  tramp's 
doom — yes,  a  religious  tramp's  doom,  and  a  religious  slacker's  doom. 

Let  us  rescue  our  slackers  from  that  doom.  Let  each  pastor  put 
first  effort  into  his  calls  on  the  delinquent.  Neglect  the  faithful 
for  a  while.  Organize  the  best  men  and  women  for  calling  upon 
those  who  are  not  faithful.  Have  a  definite  list.  Give  each  person 
a  limited  district  of  the  parish,  or  a  list  of  special  calls.  Suggest 
a  definite  purpose  for  each  call. 

Our  Government  took  men  with  some  physical  infirmity  and 
through  an  operation  or  other  medical  attention  made  them  "fit  to 
fight."  Let  us  aim  this  season  at  the  rehabilitation  of  our  under- 
developed. Let  us  make  them  "fit  to  fight"  in  the  Christian  warfare. 
Let  us  enlist  them ;  enroll  them ;  drill  them.  Let  us  aim  to  double 
the  Christian  army  by  working  up  and  working  in  all  our  slackers. 


SOME  METHODS  IN  EVANGELISM  223 

Secondly,  and  as  an  aid  to  this  end,  we  suggest  a  general  and 
simultaneous  Re-Enlistment  Day  within  our  bounds.  If  not  earlier 
it  might  be  the  first  Sunday  in  January — the  first  Sunday  in  the  new 
year.  It  might  be  called  Mobilization  Day,  or  Church  Attendance 
Day.  Let  it  be  a  day  for  the  universal  going  to  church — a  day  for 
the  resumption  of  the  habit  of  going  to  church.  The  whole  week, 
the  first  week  of  the  new  year,  might  be  used  as  Re-Enlistment 
Week.  Some  Christians  thus  might  renew  the  prayer-meeting  habit 
too. 

We  suggest  that  all  our  pastors  put  new  emphasis  in  their  preach- 
ing upon  the  duty  of  church  attendance,  and  upon  the  value  of 
church  attendance.  Point  out  also  the  great  weakening  that  comes 
to  the  Church  of  Christ  by  neglect  of  attendance  on  the  part  of 
Christians. 

The  ultimate  objective  of  the  Church  is  not  that  it  should  be  a 
shrine  for  worship  merely.  But  if  people  do  not  worship  they  are 
not  likely  to  work.  Our  worshipping  members  are  our  working 
members,  as  we  all  know.  The  real  objective  of  the  Church  is  the 
crowning  of  Christ  as  King  by  men  and  women,  who,  standing  on 
the  outside,  get  their  first  impressions  of  Christ  and  of  Christianity 
from  the  Church.  How  important,  then,  that  the  Church  itself  should 
be  a  live,  one  hundred  per  cent,  efficient  and  attractive  body.  The 
great  and  all-important  lesson  for  us  to  learn  is  that  the  Church  in 
order  to  influence  the  community  life  and  permeate  society  with 
the  Christian  spirit,  must  itself  be  at  the  highest  possible  point  of 
spiritual  vigor.  The  Church  is  the  leaven  that  is  to  leaven  the  whole 
lump.  The  leaven  is  put  into  the  meal  not  for  its  own  sake,  but 
for  the  sake  of  the  meal.  The  Church  was  not  founded  for  its  own 
sake,  but  for  the  world's.  But  the  leaven  itself  must  have  life.  Is 
church  attendance  worth  while?  Yes,  if  the  salvation  of  the  world 
is  worth  while.  For  others'  sakes  we  must  sanctify  ourselves. 
With  the  Divine  purpose  in  founding  the  Church  before  us,  have 
we  not  a  right  to  ask  that  every  member  be  present  at  every  regular 
appointment  of  the  church  of  which  he  or  she  is  an  integral  part, 
unless  providentially  kept  away?  And  this,  not  alone  for  their 
own  sakes,  but  in  order  that  the  perfect  body  of  Christ,  with  every 
member  intact,  shall  be  presented  to  the  world  in  the  unity  of  life 
and  power? 

There  are  fundamental  reasons,  educational,  social,  spiritual  and 
missionary,  for  the  regular  attendance  of  all  members  on  the  services 
of  the  Church.  Let  us  enter  a  Campaign  for  the  Round-Up  of 
Slackers,  to  the  very  end  that  the  slackers  themselves  shall  become 
good  soldiers  and  that  the  whole  Church  shall  become  efficient  for 
Christ  and  in  his  Cause.  There  is  strategy  in  such  evangelism. 
We  shall  win  the  world  if  we  win  the  church. — H. 


224  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

"Win  One"  Band 

With  God's  help  I  will  try  and  win  some  one  for  Christ 

this 

Name 

Address    . . . ., 

My  Church  is , 

Pre-Revival  Work 

We  would  commend  to  all  the  importance  of  earnest  pre-revival 
work.  Special  work  requires  special  preparation.  We  have  been 
told  of  a  small  engine  in  a  battleship  whose  sole  duty  was  to  start 
the  main  engine  going.  Without  it  the  powerful  machinery  that 
moved  the  vessel  could  with  difficulty  begin  its  task,  if  it  could 
do  so  at  all ;  yet  when  once  started  it  could  accomplish  easily  all 
that  was  expected  of  it.  There  are  some  churches  that  expect  to 
have  a  revival  simply  by  having  announcement  made  that  the  special 
meetings  will  begin,  and  then  gathering  the  faithful  at  the  appointed 
time  and  beginning.  Sometimes  a  revival  may  result,  as  fish  are 
sometimes  caught  in  unpromising  places,  but  such  utter  lack  of 
preparation  should  forbid  all  murmurings  at  the  mysterious  ways 
of  Providence  if  total  failure  results.  "God  moves  in  a  mysterious 
way,"  it  is  true,  and  one  of  his  mysterious  ways  is  that  in  the 
matter  of  soul  saving  he  has  chosen  to  use  us  men  and  women  as 
his  instruments.  But  this  does  not  mean  that  we  are  to  be  so  utterly 
without  will  or  thought  of  our  own  that  we  do  nothing  but  vacantly 
wait  to  see  how  the  Lord  will  use  us.  In  every  community  there  is 
abundant  material  for  the  soul  winner  to  work  upon,  but  he  must 
be  prepared  by  consecration,  by  prayer,  by  the  Word,  by  alliance 
with  the  divine  Spirit,  to  deal  with  the  situation.  We  urge  full  and 
careful  preparation  for  the  special  meetings.  Results  are  sure — sure 
as  the  promises  of  God. 

Revival  means  "life  again."  Oh,  how  God  longs  for  it  every- 
where !  He  has  paid  the  price  for  it.  Let  us  take  it  from  his 
outstretched  hands.  Are  we  really  desiring  it?  "O  Lord,  send  us 
a  revival ;  and  begin  in  me."     Is  that  our  daily,  constant  prayer  ? 

The  first  requisite  for  reaching  dead  souls  and  quickening  them  is 
Life.  To  be  ourselves  alive  from  the  dead  is  the  first  step.  The 
second  requisite  is  more  Life.  Not  merely  enough  to  save  us,  but 
enough  to  fill  us  and  keep  us  in  the  way  of  righteousness.  The 
third  requisite  is  more  abundant  Life.  Not  only  enough  to  fill  and 
keep,  but  enough  TO  OVERFLOW.  "He  that  believeth  .  .  . 
from  within  him  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water."  How  obtain 
this  Life?  "He  that  hath  the  Son  hath  life."  Let  us  yield  our- 
selves to  be  made  an  incarnation  of  Christ,  as  Christ  was  of  the 


SOME  METHODS  IN  EVANGELISM  225 

Father.  So  shall  each  of  us  become  not  merely  a  "living  soul"  but 
a  "quickening  spirit." 

Leading  Souls  to  Decision 

In  a  neighboring  village,  during  my  first  pastorate,  a  Rev.  Mr. 

R. was  pastor  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church.     He  was 

very  successful  in  leading  the  people  of  his  community,  both  young 
and  old,  to  the  Christian  decision.  He  has  since  become  one  of 
the  leading  ministers  of  his  denomination  and  has  more  than  ful- 
filled the  high  expectations  cherished  for  him  by  the  friends  of  his 
earlier  years  in  the  pastorate. 

Finding  a  growing  interest  in  spiritual  things  in  my  own  church 
I  went  to  take  counsel  with  this  brother  minister,  neighbor  and 
friend,  and  asked  him  how  he  was  so  successful  in  leading  souls 
to  a  decision  for  Christ. 

I  do  not  recall  any  special  suggestions  he  gave,  for  it  was  more 
than  twenty  years  ago,  but  I  do  recall  that  he  recited  many  instances 
of  his  dealings  with  individuals.  I  remember  especially  one  young 
woman  he  mentioned,  for  whose  conversion  he  had  been  hoping. 
He  had  preached  as  earnestly  as  he  could,  at  an  evening  service, 
and  at  the  close  invited  all  who  were  especially  interested  to  re- 
main to  a  brief  inquiry  meeting  in  the  chapel.  As  he  himself  came 
to  the  door  of  the  inquiry  room,  and  others  were  passing  in,  he 
noticed  this  young  woman  standing  in  a  hesitating  attitude  near 
the  entrance.  He  spoke  a  mere  word  of  invitation  as  he  was  pass- 
ing near  her,  put  his  hand  lightly  on  her  arm,  and  gave  the  slightest 
suggestion  of  a  push  toward  the  door.  She  seemed  to  make  the 
decision  and  came  in.  In  later  days  she  confessed  that  that  little 
push  decided  her.  She  said  she  was  literally  pushed  into  the  King- 
dom. 

It  is  evident  that  a  very  little  thing  may  decide  when  a  soul  is 
just  trembling  in  the  balance. 

We  once  heard  a  testimony  given  in  the  Brick  Church,  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  by  a  man  who  said  his  decision  was  determined  by  an  act 
even  slighter  than  a  gentle  push.  It  was  during  the  pastorate  of  the 
now  sainted  Rev.  Dr.  James  Boylan  Shaw,  who  was  pastor  of  that 
church  for  fifty  years  and  had  the  joy  of  witnessing  many  seasons  of 
revival,  and  of  seeing  his  church  grow  from  a  few  score  to  upwards 
of  two  thousand  members.  This  man  attended  a  meeting  when  Dr. 
Shaw  preached  and  at  the  close  invited  those  who  would  to  meet 
him  in  the  inquiry  room.  The  venerable  pastor  had  gone  to  the 
desk  of  the  chapel  room  when  this  man,  as  he  said,  came  near  the 
door,  hesitating  but  not  decided  to  go  in,  when  Dr.  Shaw  caught 
his  eye  and  beckoned  to  him  to  come  in.  The  man  testified  that  that 
beckoning  hand  decided  him.  He  went  in  and  found  Christ.  He 
said,  "I  was  beckoned  into  the  Kingdom." 


226  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

On  the  other  hand  there  are  others  who  seem  to  need  entirely 
different  treatment.  I  have  just  read  the  testimony  of  a  minister 
in  regard  to  his  dealing  with  a  young  woman  who  seemed  to  need 
the  use  of  an  entirely  different  method.  He  says :  "A  young  woman 
last  year  was  in  great  concern  about  her  soul  and  I  had  frequently 
talked  with  her.  I  placed  Christ  before  her  very  plainly,  but  she 
did  not  seem  to  see  it.  One  morning  she  came  to  me  after  service. 
'Dear  sir,  will  you  pray  for  me?'  She  was  thunderstruck  when  I 
said,  'No.'  'But,  sir,  I  am  very  anxious  to  be  saved;  will  you  not 
please  pray  for  me?'  'No,'  I  said.  'Oh,  sir,  you  don't  mean  it.' 
'Yes,  I  do.  I  have  set  Jesus  Christ  before  you;  if  you  will  not 
have  him  there's  no  use  praying.  There  is  no  other  way.  Here 
I've  been  all  my  life  learning  that  way,  and  if  there  be  another  it 
would  be  a  queer  job.  Will  you  have  Christ  or  will  you  not?' 
There  was  a  pause;  then  she  said,  'Yes,  I  will  if  I  may.'  'May?' 
said  I.  'He  has  put  it,  "Whosoever  will  may  come;"  "Him  that 
cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out;"  "He  that  believeth 
shall  be  saved."  '  'Well,  I  will,'  she  said.  'Then  let  us  get  down 
directly,  and  pray  now — if  you  are  willing  to  obey  God's  command- 
ment, then  we  may  pray.'  We  did  pray,  and  I  am  sure  that  young 
woman  has  never  doubted  she  was  saved  from  that  hour. 

"If  you  will  not  believe  in  Jesus,  all  the  praying  between  heaven 
and  earth  will  not  save  you.  But  if  you  seek  him  in  simple  faith, 
soon  you  shall  say  with  rejoicing.  'I  have  found  him  whom  my 
soul  loveth,  and  I  will  never  let  him  go.'  " 

Suggestive  Form  of  Membership  Application 

1.  Confessing  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

("And  that  every  tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father."    Philippians  2: 11.) 

2.  And  having  consciously  received  him, 

("He  came  unto  his  own,  and  his  own  received  him  not.  But 
as  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons 
of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name."    John  1:11,  12.) 

3.  Through  hearing  and  believing, 

("Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  he  that  heareth  my  Word,  and 
believeth  on  him  that  sent  me,  hath  everlasting  life  and  shall  not 
come  into  condemnation;  but  is  passed  from  death  unto  life." 
John  5:  24.) 

4.  And  having  followed  him  in  the  public  ordinance  of  baptism, 
or  purposing  to  do  so, 

("Go  ye  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 
Matthew  28:19.) 

5.  And  purposing  to  walk  in  newness  of  life, 

("Therefore  we  are  buried  with  him  by  baptism  into  death,  that 


SOME  METHODS  IN  EVANGELISM  227 

like  as  Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the  glory  of  the 
Father,  even  so  we  should  walk  in  newness  of  life."    Romans  6:4.) 

6.  And  whatsoever  else  becometh  the  followers  of  Christ, 
("Finally,  brethren,  whatsoever  things  are  true,  whatsoever  things 

are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are  just,  whatsoever  things  are  pure, 
whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report; 
if  there  be  any  virtue,  and  if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these 
things."    Philippians  4:8.) 

7.  And  purposing  to  attend  the  services  of  the  church, 

("Not  forsaking  the  assembling  of  ourselves  together,  as  the 
manner  of  some  is;  but  exhorting  one  another;  and  so  much  the 
more,  as  ye  see  the  day  approaching."    Hebrews  10:25.) 

8.  And  take  part  in  them, 

("But  if  all  prophesy,  and  there  come  in  one  that  believeth  not, 
or  one  unlearned,  he  is  convinced  of  all,  he  is  judged  of  all ;  And 
thus  are  the  secrets  of  his  heart  made  manifest ;  and  so  falling 
down  on  his  face  he  will  worship  God,  and  report  that  God  is  in  you 
of  a  truth."    1  Corinthians  14: 24,  25.) 

9.  And  preparing  to  bring  my  tithes  into  the  storehouse, 
("Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the  storehouse,  that  there  may  be 

meat  in  mine  house,  and  prove  me  now  herewith,  saith  the  Lord 
of  Hosts,  if  I  will  not  open  you  the  windows  of  heaven,  and  pour 
you  out  a  blessing,  that  there  shall  not  be  room  enough  to  receive  it." 
Malachi  3 :  10.) 

10.  As  God  has  prospered  me, 

("Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week,  let  every  one  of  you  lay  by 
him  in  store,  as  God  has  prospered  him,  that  there  be  no  gatherings 
when  I  come."    1  Corinthians  16:2.) 

11.  And  being  prompted  by  the  Spirit, 

("Then  the  Spirit  said  unto  Philip,  Go  near,  and  join  thyself 
to  this  chariot."    Acts  8 :  29.) 

12.  I  hereby  apply  for  membership  in  the  church  to  which  this  is 
presented, 

("Praising  God,  and  having  favor  with  all  the  people.  And  the 
Lord  added  to  the  church  daily  such  as  should  be  saved."  Acts 
2:47.) 


Signature. 
Care  and  Culture  of  Converts 


A  genuine  conversion  is  a  good  beginning.  Nothing  can  take  the 
place  of  renewing  grace.  There  is  only  one  door  into  the  kingdom 
of  God.  Christ  is  the  way,  and  no  man  can  enter  the  kingdom  but 
by  him.  A  thorough  evangelical  conversion  can  not  be  too  strongly 
emphasized. 


228  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

The  responsibility  of  the  Church  is  only  well  begun  when  the 
revival  is  over.  The  culture  and  care  of  young  converts  challenge 
the  utmost  concern  of  the  Church.  This  is  the  problem  which  de- 
mands her  greatest  endeavors. 

How  can  this  be  compassed? 

I.  First,  let  the  glow  of  the  revival  continue.  Converts  thrive 
best  in  a  tropical  climate.  If  for  nothing  else,  the  Church  needs  a 
thorough  revival  to  rekindle  the  spirit  of  brotherly  love.  How 
the  hearty,  warm  hand-shaking  asserts  itself  in  a  revival.  This 
delightful  fellowship  should  be  kept  up.  The  converts  have  been 
received  with  open  arms  and  accorded  a  royal  welcome  into  the 
communion.  When  the  spiritual  thermometer  drops,  the  converts 
feel  the  chill,  and  wonder  why  the  same  warm  greetings  are  not 
in  evidence.  The  Church  should  never  lose  interest  in  the  con- 
verts. They  have  cost  her  too  much  to  be  put  in  cold  storage, 
where  they  will  be  frozen  to  death. 

They  must  become  active  workers  or  die.  Drones  are  spongers 
and  short-lived.     Converts  must  go  forward  or  stagnate. 

II.  Second,  they  must  be  furnished  with  good  reading.  They 
can  not  live  on  chaff.  The  Bible  is  the  text  book.  The  sincere 
milk  of  the  Word  is  essential  to  healthy  Christian  growth. 

III.  Third,  converts  should  be  pressed  to  a  complete  consecration 
to  God,  and  kept  on  the  run  for  the  higher  reaches  of  faith.  Their 
motto  should  be,  "Holiness  to  the  Lord,"  and  their  watchword, 
"Onward."  The  gospel  provides  delicious  fare  for  young  converts. 
The  Church  should  spread  the  feast  before  them.  To  depend  upon 
social  entertainments  to  hold  and  save  young  converts  is  a  serious 
mistake.  They  need  spiritual  edification  and  substantial  nourish- 
ment. Give  them  plenty  to  eat  and  plenty  to  do,  and  they  will  grow 
and  become  strong  in  the  Lord. — Rev.  J.  W.  Hill,  D.D. 

The  Worker 

1.  Be  right  with  God. 

2.  Be  exceedingly  gentle. 

3.  Watch  for  opportunities. 

4.  Never  detain  a  person  against  his  will. 

5.  When  possible  deal  with  inquirer  alone. 

6.  Do  not  allow  yourself  to  be  drawn  into  an  argument. 

7.  Avoid  giving  too  much  of  your  own  experience;  possibly  no 
two  may  have  the  same  experience. 

The  Inquirer 

1.  Must  depend  entirely  upon  Christ  for  salvation. 

2.  Use  your  own  Bible,  and  have  inquirers  read  for  themselves. 


SOME  METHODS  IN  EVANGELISM  229 

3.  Tell  them  they  must  give  up  every  known  sin. 

4.  Must  openly  confess  Christ. 

5.  Have  inquirers  pray  for  themselves. 

6.  If  possible  and  wise,  have  the  person  kneel  when  you  pray. 
Never  make  a  long  prayer. — Rev.  W.  A.  Sunday. 


VI 

LENTEN  EVANGELISM 

The  Lenten  season  has  of  late  years — owing  to  the  special  em- 
phasis placed  upon  it  by  some  branches  of  the  Church,  and  the 
resulting  temporary  staying  of  the  tide  of  worldliness  and  frivolity 
at  that  time — proved  peculiarly  favorable  to  the  promotion  of  re- 
ligious interest.  Its  connection  with  the  death  and  resurrection  of 
our  Lord,  increasingly  recognized  in  all  branches  of  the  Church, 
would  seem  to  make  it  a  most  opportune  time  for  the  quickening  of 
Christians  for  spiritual  life  and  service,  and  for  seeking  earnestly 
the  conversion  of  the  unsaved. 

Climax  at  Easter  Communion 

The  Easter  Communion  is  the  climax  of  the  year.  The  Lenten 
season  which  precedes  is  especially  adapted  to  intensive  evangelistic 
work  among  all  ages  in  the  Church  and  community.  Evangelism 
is  our  great  work.  Let  us  make  more  than  ever  of  it.  You  desire 
results.  Then  preach  the  true  Gospel  of  God's  saving  grace  and 
love.  You  recall  that  well  known  story  of  the  work  of  the  late 
evangelist,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman.  Two  ministers  in  Boston 
were  leaving  Tremont  Temple  after  Dr.  Chapman  had  preached. 
"The  same  old  thing,"  said  one  of  them  with  a  sneer.  "Yes," 
replied  the  other,  "with  the  same  old  results."  It  will  always  be  so. 
Preach  the  real  Gospel  and  the  results  will  come.  "My  word  shall 
not  return  unto  me  void."  "And  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  in  the 
midst  of  Israel,  and  that  I  am  the  Lord  your  God,  and  none  else, 
and  my  people  shall  never  be  ashamed.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass 
afterward  that  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh;  and  your 
sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy,  your  old  men  shall  dream 
dreams,  your  young  men  shall  see  visions ;  and  also  upon  the  servant 
and  upon  the  handmaid  in  those  days  will  I  pour  out  my  Spirit. 
And  I  will  show  wonders  in  the  heavens  and  in  the  earth,  blood  and 
fire,  and  pillars  of  smoke"  (Joel  2:27-30). 

In  these  days  of  world-wide  unrest,  we  turn  to  the  prophets  and 
to  history  to  discover  if  possible  the  meaning  of  it  all. 

For  years,  many  of  us  have  been  praying  and  believing  for  a 
world-wide  revival  when  Joel's  prophecy  shall  be  more  perfectly 
fulfilled  than  on  the  day  when  Peter  stood  up  and  said,  "Men  and 

230 


LENTEN  EVANGELISM  231 

brethen,  this  is  that  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet  Joel."  We 
are  among  the  number  who  believe  the  church  is  now  facing  the 
opportunity  of  her  existence.  When  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ 
numbered  120,  she  "turned  the  world  upside  down."  What  can 
God  do  with  her  now,  if  his  Holy  Spirit  falls  upon  her  and  tongues 
of  fire  sit  upon  each  member?  Look  at  our  great  army  of  Christian 
Endeavorers  and  Sunday-school  pupils.  There  are  the  missionary 
societies.  We  are  organized  to  take  the  world  for  Christ  if  we  go 
about  it  in  the  right  way. 

Revival  Essentials 

In  all  the  leaders  and  in  all  the  workers  there  should  be: 

1.  A  holy  spirit.  This  is  vital.  It  reaches  to  the  motives  for 
action.     This  work  must  be  undertaken  solely  for  the  glory  of  God. 

2.  A  forbearing  spirit.  Do  not  criticise  the  absent.  Do  not  find 
fault  with  those  who  are  in  attendance.  Be  thankful  that  so  many 
are  present.     Do  not  scold  sinners. 

3.  A  praying  spirit.  Do  not  say  any  prayers.  Pray  often,  and  in 
secret.  Secure  the  spirit  of  prayer.  Do  not  grudge  the  time  spent 
on  your  knees. 

4.  A  working  spirit.  This  will  prepare  a  new  message  for  every 
night.  It  will  send  you  out  after  the  man  who  needs  you  the  most. 
It  will  fill  you  with  energy,  push,  fire,  and  zeal. 

5.  A  self-denying  spirit.  Deny  yourself  all  things,  everything 
that  may  hinder  you  or  divert  your  mind  from  the  one  work  of  the 
hour. 

6.  A  burdened  spirit.  Only  when  Zion  travails  are  souls  born 
into  the  kingdom. 

7.  A  persevering  spirit.  Set  your  stakes  and  stay  by  them.  Never 
give  up.     The  Lord  is  never  defeated. 

8.  A  trusting  spirit.  Take  God  at  his  word.  Take  a  promise, 
comply  with  the  conditions,  and  then  expect  its  fulfillment. 

9.  A  bold  spirit.  Describe  sin  as  it  is,  and  sins  as  they  are.  Call 
things  by  their  right  names.  Do  not  gloss.  Tell  the  truth.  Set 
forth  the  great  doctrines  of  sin,  punishment,  regeneration,  sanctifi- 
cation.  Proclaim  the  law  until  men  are  pricked  in  their  consciences. 
Do  not  flinch.  Do  not  cringe.  Do  not  compromise.  Have  a  holy 
confidence  in  the  truth  you  preach.  So  declare  it  that  men  will  be- 
lieve that  you  believe  it.  You  are  God's  ambassador.  Deliver  the 
message  as  he  gave  it  to  you.  Let  him  have  a  chance  to  use  his 
own  power  in  that  message. 

10.  A  persuasive  spirit.  Beg,  exhort,  entreat,  with  every  art  and 
device  at  your  command.  Study  to  find  a  way  to  the  sinner's  heart. 
Hold  up  Jesus  as  the  mighty  Saviour.  Persuade  your  fellow-men 
to  accept  him.     Do  not  argue  nor  waste  time  where  there  is  no 


232  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

conviction.     Do  not  try  to  do  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which 
is  to  give  conviction  to  men.    But  exhort  and  persuade. 

11.  A  loving  spirit.  Look  at  your  fellow-man  as  you  do  at  your 
own  brother.  Love  him  as  you  do  your  own.  See  how  sin  has 
injured  and  defaced  him.  He  is  a  wreck  because  of  being  overcome 
by  the  devil.  Think  of  the  end  if  he  be  not  rescued.  Help  him 
up  and  out.  He  is  blind  and  cannot  see.  Be  eyes  to  him.  Be  will 
for  him.     In  some  way  make  him  believe  that  you  love  him. 

12.  A  praiseful  spirit.  Praise  the  Lord  for  the  victory  that  is  to 
be.  Shout  before  you  can  see.  Shout  in  faith.  Do  not  make  a 
shout ;  but  if  the  Lord  gives  you  a  shout,  let  it  out. 

13.  Over  all,  above  all,  and  in  all  one  must  have  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Do  not  forget  that  the  Holy  Spirit  must  have  a  holy  spirit  with 
which  to  abide. — Henry  W.  Bennett,  D.D. 

The  Lenten  Message 

Evangelistic  preaching  is  capable  of  greater  variety  than  any  other 
sort  of  preaching.  It  is  all  working  toward  one  result,  to  be  sure, 
but  there  are  many  roads  that  lead  to  Rome.  The  claim  of  Christ 
on  a  man  is  so  wide,  so  imperious,  that  it  can  be  asserted  in  an  im- 
mense variety  of  ways.  Recently  I  talked  with  the  greatest  special- 
ist on  nervous  disorders  in  our  country,  and  found  him  waiting  to 
hear  from  a  letter  which  he  had  written  to  a  dipsomaniac  who  had 
come  to  him  for  help.  He  said  he  had  presented  in  a  long  letter 
every  plea  he  could  think  of  from  the  certain  ruin  of  health  to  the 
equally  certain  ruin  of  his  immortal  soul.  If  he  could  find  the  chord 
in  the  man's  soul  which  would  respond,  he  could  hope  to  save  him. 
That  was  part  of  his  greatness.  He  had  no  cut-and-dried  way  of 
dealing  with  each  case.  There  was  only  one  thing  he  wanted  to  ac- 
complish, but  he  would  come  at  it  by  any  path.  If  we  make  evangel- 
istic preaching  a  serious  business,  we  can  do  it  so  that  neither  we 
nor  our  people  will  be  wearied  by  iteration.  In  a  ministers'  meet- 
ing once  a  man  said :  "There  are  only  about  twenty  great  evangel- 
istic texts  in  the  Bible."  Even  a  common  preacher  could  find  a  thou- 
sand, and  the  man  who  habituates  himself  to  see  the  appeal  of  Christ 
in  texts  will  find  ten  times  that  many.  The  great  thing  is  that  the 
preacher  shall  have  in  mind  constantly  the  thing  he  is  after — a 
decision  for  Christ.  Then  let  him  come  to  that  goal  from  any 
angle. 

The  best  preparation  for  evangelistic  preaching  is  some  definite 
work  for  the  winning  of  men  to  Christ  If  the  pulpit  is  the  only 
place  where  a  man  pleads  for  Christ  then  the  appeal  loses  its  eager- 
ness. Its  vitality  is  gone.  No  man  can  know  what  his  fellowmen 
are  thinking  or  feeling  unless  he  comes  into  personal  contact  with 
them.— C.  B.  McAfee,  D.D. 


LENTEN  EVANGELISM  233 

The  Need 

1.  Church  members  themselves  need  the  stimulus  which  comes 
from  active  personal  effort. 

2.  There  are  very  many  persons  in  the  community  whose  Church 
membership  has  not  been  transferred.  They  have  no  identification 
with  the  Church  in  the  town  or  city  where  they  live.  Feeling  no 
responsibility  there  is  a  great  danger  that  the  child  of  God  may 
become  almost  a  hindrance  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  as  a  matter 
of  fact  the  presence  of  many  lapsed  members  in  a  community  lowers 
the  spiritual  atmosphere  more  than  the  presence  of  the  unsaved. 

3.  The  pastor  sorely  needs  the  assistance  not  only  of  his  church 
officers,  but  of  his  entire  membership. 

4.  There  are  many  persons  who  are  waiting  for  a  definite  invita- 
tion to  come  to  Christ.  The  preaching  of  the  minister  is  not  enough. 
It  is  believed  that  scores  of  people  would  come  to  Christ  if  they 
were  personally  invited. 

5.  There  are  very  many  persons  who  are  pre-engaged.  Their  ac- 
tivities are  controlled  by  their  own  personal  interests  and  they  re- 
quire a  direct  and  definite  appeal  to  realize  the  necessity  of  devoting 
themselves  to  Christ  and  his  service. 

Critical  Hours  in  Religion 

One  advantage  of  the  Lenten  season  is  that  there  is  more  general 
thoughtfulness  on  religion  and  it  is  easier  to  get  people  to  think. 

There  are  critical  hours  in  religion,  especially  in  the  matter  of  the 
soul's  salvation.  That  young  man  spoken  of  in  the  Gospel  by  Mark 
was  at  such  a  point.  It  is  said  that  when  Jesus  saw  that  he  answered 
discreetly,  he  said  unto  him,  "Thou  art  not  far  from  the  kingdom 
of  God."    Not  far !    That  means  near. 

There  are  critical  hours  that  come  into  every  life.  Some  of  these 
have  to  do  with  worldly  matters.  "There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of 
men  which,  taken  at  its  flood,  leads  on  to  fortune."  If  the  astrono- 
mer wishes  to  see  the  transit  of  Venus  after  his  months  of  prepara- 
tion, there  comes  a  critical  hour  when  he  must  not  sleep,  but  be 
awake  and  alert  and  watchful.  There  often  comes  a  critical  hour  in 
sickness,  as  in  fever,  when  the  life  of  the  patient  depends  on  the 
watchfulness  of  the  nurse  and  faithfulness  in  the  administration  of 
stimulants. 

But  let  us  be  well  aware  that  there  are  critical  hours  in  spiritual 
matters  also.  One  may  be  very  near  to  the  kingdom  of  God  and  yet 
not  in  it.  There  can  not  be  a  question,  that,  of  persons  who  are  as 
yet  unsaved,  some  are  nearer  to  salvation  than  are  others.  There 
are  circumstances  in  life;  there  are  elements  of  character;  there  are 
conditions  of  mind  which  make  one  man's  case  more  hopeful  than 


234  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

that  of  another.  Of  these  hopeful  cases  the  young  scribe  to  whom 
Christ  spoke  was  one.  Let  us  notice  some  of  the  features  of  his 
case  that  evidently  brought  from  our  Saviour's  lips  the  words : 
"Thou  art  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God."  What  were  some  of 
the  hopeful  features  of  his  condition?  For  one  thing,  he  was  not 
far  from  the  kingdom,  because  he  had  begun  to  think  seriously  on 
religion.  You  observe  that  in  his  manner  and  language  there  was 
no  trace  of  frivolity  or  captiousness.  He  was  not  one  of  your  light- 
headed, brainless  fellows,  bragging  of  his  unbelief.  For  such  no 
one  can  have  anything  but  contempt.  But  as  a  young  lawyer  he  was 
evidently  accustomed  to  think,  and  now  he  was  in  a  state  of  serious 
inquiry  in  religious  matters.  It  is  always  a  hopeful  indication  when 
a  man  begins  really  to  think  upon  religion  and  the  interests  of  his 
soul. 

It  is  marvelous  how  little  some  people  think  about  religion,  and 
how  difficult  it  is  to  get  them  to  think  at  all.  Tell  a  man  with  a  dis- 
eased finger  that  he  is  likely  to  lose  it,  and  how  he  will  sicken  at  the 
thought!  Tell  him  that  he  is  liable  to  lose  his  soul,  and  in  many 
cases,  he  displays  not  the  least  anxiety  or  concern.  He  is  far  from 
the  kingdom.  But  when  one  begins  to  realize  the  worth  of  his  soul, 
to  consider  seriously,  to  think,  his  condition  is  beginning  to  be  hope- 
ful. It  was  because  this  young  man  was  thinking,  was  seriously 
considering  the  welfare  of  his  soul,  was  devoutly  feeling  his  way 
and  seeking  further  light,  that  our  Lord  looked  him  so  kindly  in 
the  face  and  said :  "Thou  art  not  far  from  the  kingdom." 

And  he  was  not  far  from  the  kingdom,  because  he  had  already 
begun  to  attach  more  importance  to  the  spirit  than  to  the  letter. 
We  are  fully  convinced  that  the  Saviour  was  struck  with  this  fea- 
ture of  this  case.  It  is  perfectly  evident  that  this  young  lawyer  had 
come  to  see  that  the  spiritual  side  of  religion  was  of  far  greater  im- 
portance than  the  ceremonial.  To  love  the  Lord  with  all  one's  heart 
and  to  love  one's  neighbor  as  one's  self,  was  more,  he  said,  than 
all  the  whole  burnt  offerings  and  sacrifices.  That  was  getting  a 
good  long  way  into  the  reality  of  religion. 

Another  favorable  indication  is  that  he  seemed  desirous  of  living 
up  to  all  the  light  he  had.  He  did  not  seem  to  be  trying  to  raise 
an  argument  or  draw  Christ  into  a  religious  controversy.  He  was 
not  evading.  He  seemed  honest  and  humble,  of  teachable  spirit, 
truly  seeking  the  light;  and  this  is  yet  another  reason  why  Christ 
could  say  to  him,  "Thou  art  not  far  from  the  kingdom."  And  an- 
other favorable  fact  is  that  he  was  amiable  and  virtuous.  Of  course, 
amiability  and  virtue  are  not  saving  graces ;  but  such  qualities  do 
make  men  more  attractive  to  Christ  than  the  opposite  qualities  do. 
It  was  not  because  he  was  so  bad,  but  because  he  was  so  good,  that 
Christ  looking  upon  him  could  say,  "Thou  art  not  far  from  the 
kingdom." 


LENTEN  EVANGELISM  235 

But  though  in  a  very  hopeful  state  there  were  some  special 
dangers  in  his  condition.  Some  of  the  most  hopeful  features  of  a 
soul's  condition  may  be  accompanied  by  the  most  threatening  and 
awful  dangers. 

Oh,  how  many  of  these  "hopeful  cases''  have  we  seen,  young  men 
and  young  women,  older  men  and  older  women,  who  at  the  critical 
moment  turned  back — gave  up  their  efforts  to  follow  Christ!  A 
hopeful  state  is  a  state  with  the  very  grave  danger  that  the  soul  may 
slip  back  again  into  a  worse  condition  than  before. 

A  second  danger  is  lest  the  awakened  soul  be  content  to  stop  at 
the  spot  it  has  already  reached.  Not  far  from  the  kingdom  is  not 
within  the  kingdom.  Almost  saved  is  not  altogether  saved.  The 
man  in  the  snow  storm  on  the  Dakota  prairie  was  "lost  in  sight  of 
home."  After  safely  circumnavigating  the  globe  the  "Royal  Char- 
ter" went  to  pieces  on  the  coast  of  Wales,  almost  within  the  harbor. 
Nearness  is  not  possession.  Almost  saved  is  not  saved.  It  is  a 
dangerous  thing  for  an  awakened  sinner  to  stop  where  he  is. 

The  case  of  the  young  lawyer  also  reveals  a  condition  which  had 
very  pressing  and  immediate  duties.  Any  one  who  is  thus  at  a 
crisis  in  securing  salvation  has  the  same  duties  confronting  him  or 
her.  What  are  some  of  them?  The  very  first  is  of  thankfulness  to 
God  that  he  is  already  dealing  so  graciously  with  you.  If  you  are 
sincerely  thoughtful,  have  discovered  the  importance  of  spirit  above 
mere  form,  and  have  a  genuine  interest  in  religion,  in  your  soul's 
welfare,  you  have  great  reason  for  gratitude  to  God,  and  you  should 
express  your  thanks  to  him  for  his  gracious  dealings  with  you.  An- 
other immediate  duty  is  for  you  to  recognize  your  need  of  divine 
help,  that  you  may  fully  enter  into  the  kingdom.  The  kingdom  is 
half  won  when  you  recognize  your  own  helplessness. 

The  other  duty  is  that  you  shall  decide  at  once  and  commit  your- 
self wholly  to  God's  saving  grace.  In  other  words,  it  is  to  make  an 
immediate  and  full  surrender  of  yourself  to  him,  and  for  all  time. 
It  is  such  a  surrender,  and  nothing  short  of  it,  that  carries  the  soul 
from  being  not  far  from  the  kingdom,  to  being  fully  within  the 
kingdom. — H. 

Lenten  Preparatory  Class 

PREPARATION  FOR  DECISION  DAY 

Lesson  I 

God  Our  Father 

In  every  land  in  the  world  where  human  life  is  found,  there  is 
some  idea  of  an  unseen  being  or  beings,  who  can  exert  an  influence 
for  good  or  evil  on  individual  lives.    Consider  India,  with  her  wor- 


236  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

ship  of   stone  images   found  along  the  highways;  Africa,  whose 
natives  believe  in  ever-present  evil  spirits,  etc. 

1.  The  Development  of  the  Early  Hebrew  Conception  of  God  in 
the  Old  Testament;  Creator,  Leader,  Lawgiver,  Judge,  King. 

As  other  books  teach  certain  definite  subjects,  so  in  the  Bible  we 
learn  about  God.  It  records  God's  gradual  revealing  of  himself  to 
his  children,  covering  a  period  of  about  sixteen  hundred  years. 

2.  The  New  Testament  Conception  of  God. 

Jesus  referred  naturally  to  God  as  his  Father.  Luke  2 :  49 ;  Mat- 
thew 11:25,  26;  John  11:41. 

Jesus  taught  that  God  was  our  Heavenly  Father  also.  Luke 
15:11:32. 

3.  Our  Father  and  We. 

He  is  none  the  less  real  because  we  cannot  see  him.  We  cannot 
see  "gravitation"  or  electricity,  but  we  know  they  are  facts. 

He  knows  our  needs  before  we  ask  or  even  know  them.  Matthew 
6:8. 

What  did  our  earthly  fathers  do  for  us  before  we  were  able  to 
do  for  ourselves? 

Our  Heavenly  Father  understands  our  personal  needs  in  school, 
in  daily  work,  in  life  plan,  because  he  sees  the  whole  stretch  of  our 
life  from  beginning  to  end. 

He  is  more  ready  to  do  for  us  than  an  earthly  father.  Matthew 
7:11. 

He  wants  us  to  have  the  best  of  everything — education,  pleasure, 
work,  etc. 

He  will  watch  over  us.  John  10 :  29.  In  the  midst  of  physical 
danger  and  harm.  In  unseen  and  moral  dangers.  There  are  always 
subtle  currents  that  may  swerve  us  unknowingly  from  the  right 
course. 

He  will  be  near  and  help  in  the  hard  experience.  Psalm  103 :  13 ; 
Deuteronomy  32 :  11;  33  :  27. 

There  are  times  when  each  has  sense  of  his  own  helplessness  when 
he  is  undecided  and  perplexed,  when  in  adversity  and  sorrow,  even 
in  joy  and  prosperity.  The  presence  of  the  Heavenly  Father  helps 
as  none  other. 

He  has  a  plan  for  each  life.    Matthew  10:  29-31. 

Could  we  think  of  God  creating  us  in  his  own  image  for  no  other 
purpose  than  mere  existence? 

"He  who  alone  knows  enough  and  cares  enough  to  do  it,  has 
planned  out  every  human  life,  desiring  the  noblest  things  for  it,  fit- 
ting it  into  the  richest  associations." — Speer,  in  "Christ  and  Life." 

Let  us  not  think  of  God  only  as  Creator,  Law-giver,  King,  but 
as  a  loving  Father,  with  all  which  that  implies,  as  well. 

The  leader  should  tell  as  vividly  as  possible  the  story  of  the 
Prodigal  Son,  laying  special  emphasis  on  the  father's  attitude  toward 


LENTEN  EVANGELISM  237 

the  returned  boy.    Then  close  with  prayer,  ending  with  the  Lord's 
Prayer  in  concert. 

Lesson  II 
Jesus  Christ  and  the  Holy  Spirit 

1.  Jesus  Christ  Our  Saviour. 

"The  Son  of  man  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost." 
Matthew  18:11. 

When  a  coin  is  lost,  its  intrinsic  value  is  not  changed,  but  its 
worth  and  usefulness  are  temporarily  unavailable. 

Sin  is  "missing  the  mark,"  it  is  failing  to  measure  up  to  God's 
highest  for  us.    Sin  is  that  which  is  contrary  to  God's  will. 

Jesus  Christ  came  to  save  men  who  were  lost  in  sin,  to  restore 
their  value  to  the  world  and  to  his  Kingdom. 

By  his  life,  and  teachings,  and  death,  he  revealed  God  and  showed 
people  how  to  come  into  right  relationship  with  him. 

2.  Jesus  Christ  Our  Friend. 

"A  friend  is  one  who  knows  all  about  you  and  likes  you  just  the 
same." 

A  real  friend  understands  and  sympathizes  with  you. 

Christ  is  the  ideal  friend  because  he  was  on  earth,  lived  among 
people,  understands  all  that  each  of  us  experiences ;  therefore  he  can 
give  just  the  help  we  need.    Hebrews  2:  17;  4: 15,  16. 

3.  The  Holy  Spirit. 

Christ  promised  the  Comforter,  the  Holy  Spirit.  John  14:26; 
15:26;  16:7. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  presence  of  Christ  with  us  to-day,  dwelling 
with  us.     1  Corinthians  3  :  16. 

As  people  recognize  this  Spirit  within  them,  they  are  strengthened 
and  filled  with  power. 

The  Holy  Spirit  lives  in  us  even  though  we  cannot  see  him  or 
his  power. 

Illustration :  We  can  stop  an  electric  motor  with  the  hand,  but  the 
power  is  there  ready  to  operate  when  the  machine  is  unhindered. 

Similarly,  we  sometimes  hold  back  the  Holy  Spirit,  preventing 
him  from  making  our  lives  real  worth-while  powers. 

Nothing  is  impossible  for  a  young  person  with  the  Holy  Spirit 
working  with  and  through  him. 

Lesson  III 

What  Is  It  to  Be  a  Christian? 

Men  were  first  called  Christians  at  Antioch.    Acts  1 1 :  26. 
1.   A  Christian  Is  a  Follower. 


238  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

John  1 :  35-37.  The  two  followed  him  up  the  road,  taking  the 
same  direction  in  which  he  was  going. 

Matthew  9:9.  As  Christians  we  make  it  the  business  of  our 
lives  to  follow  Christ,  the  Master  of  our  lives,  trying  to  be  and  do 
what  he  would  have  us  be  and  do. 

Ephesians  5:1.    "Followers"  here  means  to  imitate. 

Illustration :  Learning  to  play  a  musical  instrument  requires  prac- 
tice. The  more  we  practice  intelligently  the  more  expert  we  become. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  Christian  life.  Always  something  higher  to 
strive  for. 

2.  A  Christian  Is  a  Disciple. 

The  word  disciple  means  "learner."    Mark  4 :  34. 

From  these  learners  he  chose  the  twelve  who  were  to  receive 
special  instruction  and  training  for  their  work. 

A  Christian  seeks  to  learn  of  Jesus  and  about  him.  How  can 
we  do  this  ?    See  John  8:31. 

By  reading  his  recorded  life. 

Through  the  Church  and  Church  school. 

By  studying  his  life  as  revealed  in  other  lives. 

3.  A  Christian  Is  a  Witness.    Luke  24 :  48,  Acts  1 :  8. 

A  witness  is  one  who  gives  evidence  that  a  thing  is  so.  The  word 
suggests  a  person  called  to  tell  what  he  knows  about  the  matter. 

Telling  of  something  we  are  enthusiastic  about  is  natural. 

Witnessing  on  the  part  of  Christians  is  essential  to  the  spread  of 
the  Kingdom. 

How  can  we  witness?  Through  the  church,  in  daily  life,  and  by 
service  for  others. 

How  can  one  become  a  Christian? 

When  can  one  become  a  witness? 


Lesson  IV 
The  Christian  Church 

The  first  Christian  Church  consisted  of  twelve  members. 

Just  whom  do  we  mean  when  we  speak  of  "the  Church"? 

1.    Why  Join  the  Church? 

It  is  Christ's  Church. 

It  provides  a  helpful  environment.  By  joining  we  identify  our- 
selves with  a  company  of  people  with  high  purposes. 

Through  it  we  may  grow  in  Christian  character. 

We  often  feel  a  sense  of  unworthiness,  but  the  church  is  a  school, 
and  if  we  are  willing  to  be  taught  by  a  great  Teacher,  Jesus  Christ, 
then  we  have  a  rightful  place  in  it. 

It  is  the  organized  effort  of  men  and  women  to  establish  the 
Kingdom  of  Christ  on  earth. 


LENTEN  EVANGELISM  239 

A  soldier  fighting  alone  may  be  well  intentioned,  but  it  is  the 
united  strength  of  a  company  that  counts. 

The  church  is  the  most  powerful  influence  for  good  the  world  has 
ever  known. 

Consider  what  it  has  accomplished — the  lives  that  have  come  from 
it,  social  betterment,  etc. 

2.    The  Sacraments  of  the  Church. 

a.  Baptism. 

Sprinkling  has  always  been  a  sign  of  cleansing. 
Sprinkling  with  blood.    Leviticus  4. 
Sprinkling  with  water.    Ezekiel  36 :  25. 
Use  of  baptism  by  John  the  Baptist.    Mark  1 :  5. 
For  us  to-day  it  has  a  two-fold  meaning:  A  renouncing  of  the 
wrongs  of  the  past.    A  public  dedication  to  a  new  life. 

b.  The  Lord's  Supper. 

As  a  memorial.    Luke  22:14-22.    1  Corinthians  11:23-26. 

(Compare  with  the  purpose  of  Bunker  Hill  Monument,  and 
other  memorial  shafts  and  buildings.) 

For  spiritual  strength. 

Bread  and  wine  taken  into  the  body  become  a  part  of  it  through 
rebuilding  tissues  of  the  body  and  making  life-imparting  blood. 
Partaking  of  these  elements  symbolizes  the  taking  of  Christ  into 
our  life,  bringing  a  new  spirit  within  us  and  building  up  a  strong 
character  through  his  living  presence.  The  observance  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  is  a  time  of  communion  with  him. 

All  may  participate,  regardless  of  their  particular  church  or 
denominational  affiliation  if  they  honestly  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
and  recognize  him  as  their  Master  and  seek  to  carry  out  his  will  in 
their  lives. 

Lesson  V 
'Bible  Reading  and  Prayer 

The  Bible  is  a  whole  library,  comprising  volumes  written  in 
various  widely  separated  periods.  They  include:  Books  of  law, 
history,  poetry  and  songs,  sermons,  biography,  and  letters.  The 
writers  of  these  books  were  of  all  classes :  fishermen,  shepherds, 
physicians,  business  men,  prophets,  priests  and  kings.  The  Old 
Testament  was  written  in  Hebrew,  and  the  New  Testament  in 
Greek.  Jesus  was  familiar  with  the  Old  Testament.  He  quotes 
from  the  law,  the  sermons,  and  the  poetry. 

If  possible,  the  leader  of  the  class  should  trace  quickly  the  story 
of  the  Bible — the  early  translations:  John  Wyclif;  persecutions; 
invention  of  printing;  William  Tyndale ;  opposition  of  established 
church;  smuggling  of  Bibles  to  England  from  Germany;  kings  and 


24o  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

bishops  sought  to  stamp  out  the  Bible,  but  failed;  the  Authorized 
Version ;  the  American  Revised  Version. 

There  are  two  ways  to  get  acquainted  with  a  person : 

1.  By  writings.     Acquaintance  can  be  made  by  correspondence. 
The  Bible  may  be  thought  of  as  God's  letter  to  his  children.     If 

we  would  get  better  acquainted  with  him,  let  us  read  his  Word. 

How  shall  we  read  it? 

Regularly. 

Systematically.  All  parts  not  of  equal  value  to  us  at  the  same 
time. 

Read :  Gospels  again  and  again. 

The  history  books  of  Old  Testament. 

Logical  sections  of  a  book  at  one  time,  rather  than  certain  num- 
ber of  chapters  or  verses. 

Endeavor  to  learn  by  whom,  under  what  conditions  and  for  what 
purpose  the  book  you  are  reading  was  written. 

2.  By  personal  contact,  holding  conversation  with  a  person. 

Prayer  is  not  dependent  on  formal  phrases  or  special  posture. 

Prayer  is  not  alone  asking  for  things.  Rather  it  is  natural  "con- 
versation and  intercourse  with  God."  It  is  abiding  with  God,  get- 
ting his  viewpoint. 

Consider  Jesus'  habits  of  prayer.  He  constantly  looked  up  from 
his  daily  occupation  to  talk  with  his  Heavenly  Father.  We  can  do 
the  same. 

"For  Jesus'  sake."  John  14:  13.  If  as  Christians  we  are  to 
grow  in  character  and  power  we  must  read  the  Bible  and  pray. 

Lesson  VI 
Forward  Step  or  Decision  Day 

Progress  is  always  dependent  on  forward  steps.  If  men  had  been 
content  with  Benjamin  Franklin's  discovery  that  lightning  was 
electricity  we  would  never  have  had  electricity  harnessed  for  our 
needs  to-day.  If  Marconi  had  been  satisfied  to  send  currents 
through  the  air  a  few  yards  only,  we  would  never  have  had  wireless 
messages  sent  across  the  sea. 

If  the  two  disciples  had  been  content  to  see  Jesus  pass  by  up  the 
road,  without  following  after,  they  would  never  have  known  Jesus. 
Similarly  it  is  natural  to  expect  progress  in  the  Christian  life. 

1.    Some  of  you  are  already  members  of  the  Christian  Church. 

Joining  the  church  is  not  like  attaining  a  certain  point  and  then 
relaxing  because  the  goal  is  reached.  It  is  a  stepping  out  into  the 
open  door  of  larger  service  and  opportunity. 

The  church  is  occupying  a  constantly  enlarging  place  in  the  com- 
munity. 


LENTEN  EVANGELISM  241 

Some  opportunities  for  service  in  the  church  are  these : 

Assuming  responsibilities  as  called  upon. 

Teaching  in  Sunday  school. 

Ushering. 

Singing  in  choir. 

Pastor's  helper. 

Using  influence  over  other  young  people,  etc.,  etc. 

2.  Some  of  you  are  Christians,  but  not  members  of  the  Church. 
You  may  feel  that  you  are  honestly  a  "follower"  of  Jesus,  but 

prefer  to  follow  him  privately. 

You  will  lose  much  if  you  stop  here;  you  need  the  Church  and 
the  Church  needs  you. 

It  may  be  suggested  that  you  are  not  old  enough,  or  not  good 
enough  to  join  the  Church,  etc.,  etc.  But  remember  that  the  Church 
is  not  a  "museum  of  models ;"  it  is  a  school  wherein  we  learn  and 
seek  to  become  better  and  train  ourselves  for  greater  service. 

To  join  the  Church  is  to  rally  to  the  cause  of  Christ  and  to  haul 
up  our  colors  showing  where  we  stand. 

3.  Some  of  you  have  never  made  a  decision  to  be  a  Christian. 

You  were  brought  up  to  attend  church  and  Sunday  school,  to  be- 
lieve in  God,  and  are  trying  to  do  what  is  right,  but  never  definitely 
accepted  Christ  for  yourselves,  or  openly  announced  your  decision. 

The  highest  character  and  finest  living  come  only  when  we  take 
Christ  as  our  Master  and  become  followers  of  him. 

President  McKinley  once  said :  "There  is  only  one  kind  of  char- 
acter, and  that  is  Christian  character." 

To  definitely  make  this  decision  is  a  great  help  in  life. 

At  the  Lenten  season,  when  we  consider  especially  the  sacrificial 
love  of  Jesus,  we  naturally  want  to  do  something  for  him. 

What  will  be  your  Forward  Step  this  Easter? 

At  this  point  let  the  teachers  distribute  blank  cards  (3x5  in.) 
and  pencils  among  the  class.  This  should  be  planned  beforehand  so 
as  to  be  carried  out  with  the  least  possible  time  and  confusion. 
Have  each  one  put  his  name  and  address  on  the  top  of  the  card. 
Then  urge  each  to  write  on  the  card  underneath  his  name,  just  that 
which  he  (or  she)  wants  his  forward  step  to  be.  Make  this  part  of 
the  service  very  definite  and  meaningful.  Give  ample  time  to  allow 
each  to  formulate  and  put  in  writing  that  which  is  in  his  heart. 
When  this  is  done,  request  that  the  cards  be  turned  face  down  while 
the  teachers  collect  them.  Follow  this  with  a  prayer  of  consecra- 
tion and  the  hymn,  "O  Master  Workman  of  the  race." 

These  cards  should  be  followed  up  during  the  week  by  teachers  or 
pastors  to  actually  realize  the  pledges  made  or  forward  steps  taken, 
such  as  forms  of  service,  joining  the  Church,  etc. 

It  may  be  found  advisable  to  have  a  seventh  lesson,  taking  up  the 
development  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  the  principles  of  the  de- 


242  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

nomination  under  which  the  class  is  being  held.  The  subject  matter 
for  this  lesson  would  naturally  depend  on  the  material  the  leader 
has  in  hand.  Denominational  headquarters  would  doubtless  be  glad 
to  furnish  what  is  needed. — Arranged  by  Frederick  L.  Fay. 


VII 
DECISION  DAY 

An  annual  Decision  Day  by  very  general  usage  has  been  estab- 
lished for  our  Sunday-schools.  It  is  usually  held  near  the  first  of 
the  year  or  in  the  month  of  March.  In  some  churches  more  than 
one  such  day  is  held  in  the  year.  An  objection  raised  against  De- 
cision Day  is  that  it  endangers  the  continual  force  of  the  Spirit's 
call,  "Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time;  and  behold,  now  is  the  day 
of  salvation."  Such  a  special  day  must  be  guarded  lest  the  children 
and  young  people  be  given  the  impression  that  God's  call  is  an 
annual  rather  than  an  ever  imperative  invitation.  But  it  will  be  the 
fault  of  parents,  teachers  and  pastors  if  they  ever  get  such  an  im- 
pression as  that.  Of  course  every  day  should  be  decision  day  if 
possible ;  nevertheless,  there  is  unmistakable  value  in  a  definite  day. 
The  attention  of  the  scholar  is  called  to  his  or  her  duty  and  privi- 
lege by  this  anniversary.  The  attention  of  the  teacher  is  also  called 
to  his  or  her  obligation  to  see  that  every  member  of  the  class  is 
definitely  committed  to  a  confession  of  Christ. 

There  is  something  to  work  for  and  something  to  pray  for  on 
the  part  of  both  the  teacher  and  the  scholar.  Without  a  Decision 
Day  the  temptation  to  postpone  or  put  off  definite  effort  is  power- 
ful. With  a  Decision  Day  and  a  special  object  to  work  for,  definite 
objects  can  be  expected  if  sought  with  the  divine  blessing. 

Of  all  meetings  or  opportunities  in  the  Church,  or  the  world,  the 
most  inviting  field  for  winning  souls  is  the  Sabbath-school.  A 
larger  number  of  unconverted  souls  attend  the  Bible  school  than  any 
other  church  service.  This  is  the  general  rule.  As  a  rule  the  un- 
converted in  the  Sabbath-school  are  composed  of  boys  and  girls — 
young  people.  These  are  far  likelier  to  be  won  to  Christ  than  any 
other  class.  The  fact  is,  there  are  many  children  in  our  classes  who 
are  simply  undeveloped  Christians.  They  have  been  born  again,  but 
have  not  as  yet  been  thoroughly  won.  It  is  the  heavenly  task  of  the 
teacher  to  ascertain  their  precise  relation  to  Christ,  and  if  they  are 
in  him,  to  develop  in  them  the  Christian  life  planted  by  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

The  presence  in  the  school,  and  in  almost  every  class  of  numbers 
of  youth  who  have  found  Christ  as  their  Saviour;  who  have  con- 
fessed Christ  as  their  Lord,  and  are  rejoicing  in  him,  is  a  wonder- 
ful encouragement  and  help  to  the  teachers  in  winning  others. 

It  often  occurs  that  the  teacher,  earnest  for  the  salvation  of  his 

243 


244  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

scholars,  finds  that  the  blessed  Spirit  has  gone  before  him.  Some 
of  his  scholars  have  been  so  touched  by  him  that  they  want  to  know 
what  they  must  do  to  be  saved. 

The  hearts  of  all  children  are  more  tender,  and  are  more  respon- 
sive to  Jesus'  love  than  those  of  adults.  The  child  will  accept  Christ 
with  a  faith  more  simple  than  the  grown-up  person.  It  is  easier  for 
the  child  to  love  than  for  an  adult,  and  the  child  can  more  readily 
learn  to  love  Jesus.  They  have  not  been  hardened  by  sin  or  by 
rejection  of  Christ. 

Decision  Day  Is  Flood-tide 

"There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men, 
Which  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to   fortune; 
Omitted,  all  the  voyage  of  their  life 
Is  bound  in  shallows  and  in  miseries." 

Planting  must  be  done  in  seed-time.  Tending  the  field  must  be 
done  in  growing  time.  Harvesting  must  be  done  when  the  crop  is 
ripe.  We  must  make  hay  when  the  sun  shines.  We  must  grind  our 
grist  while  the  water  is  flowing  by  the  mill.  We  must  teach  the 
child  while  he  is  a  child.  We  must  show  love  while  the  loved  ones 
are  still  with  us.  We  must  prepare  for  the  future  while  it  is  still  to- 
day.— H.  C.  Trumbull,  D.D. 

In  the  Lenten  Season 

The  great  aim  of  personal  work  is  to  win  souls  into  the  kingdom 
of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  To  accomplish  this  benefi- 
cent result  there  is  nothing  more  desirable  on  the  part  of  Christian 
workers  than  definiteness  of  method,  and  the  observance  of  what  is 
called  "Decision  Day"  has  proved  to  be  an  efficient  aid  in  promoting 
the  growth  of  the  Kingdom. 

While  the  particular  date  upon  which  Decision  Day  shall  be  ob- 
served is  a  matter  which  has  been  left  very  much  to  the  local 
churches,  yet  a  large  number  have  found  it  profitable  to  observe  it 
in  the  season  of  Lent. 

Making  Decision  Day  a  Success 

The  writer  once  spent  a  Sunday  in  a  city  two  thousand  miles 
from  his  home.  On  the  day  before  he  received  an  invitation  to  be 
present  at  a  certain  Bible-school.  On  reaching  the  school  building 
he  sought  out  the  superintendent  in  order  to  ascertain  what  was  ex- 
pected of  him.  He  was  informed  that  he  was  to  conduct  a  Decision 
Day  service.    Then  followed  a  dialogue :  "  A  Decision  Day  service ! 


DECISION  DAY  245 

Have  you  made  any  preparation  for  it?"  "Yes,  indeed."  "What 
have  you  done?"  "We  have  been  praying  for  our  pupils,  we  have 
been  giving  them  special  instruction,  and  we  have  talked  about  this 
day  in  many  ways  and  in  many  places."  "How  long  has  this  been 
going  on?"  "Five  months  ago  we  began  to  talk  about  it,  and  we 
have  been  planning  for  it  ever  since."  "All  right;  I  will  conduct 
the  service." 

It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  a  comparatively  very  large  num- 
ber of  boys  and  girls  signified  the  fact  that  they  had  already,  or 
that  they  would  now,  accept  Christ  as  their  Saviour.  The  pastor 
had  made  beforehand  his  plans  for  dealing  with  these  children,  and 
they  were  turned  over  to  his  care.  There  is  no  secret  as  to  why 
that  Decision  Day  was  a  success. — Rev.  A.  H.  McKinney,  D.D. 

The  Waiting  Harvest 

I  received  from  a  pastor  a  letter  which  stirred  my  heart  to  the 
depths.  He  writes :  "It  needs  no  arguments  to  convince  the  Church 
theoretically  that  early  youth  is  the  strategic  opportunity  for  win- 
ning the  life  for  Christ  and  his  kingdom — but  plainly  enough,  some- 
thing is  needed  to  arouse  the  Church  to  the  point  where  she  will 
make  a  practical  application  of  the  conviction  to  the  demands  of 
the  hour  of  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  children  and  youth  stand- 
ing on  the  very  threshold  of  the  kingdom,  waiting  to  be  led  through 
the  open  door."  The  pastor,  who  is  himself  greatly  blessed  in 
bringing  every  year  many  scores  of  young  people  to  Christ,  and  into 
his  church,  adds  this  question,  which  comes  straight  to  the  soul : 
"Why  not  inaugurate  a  movement  at  once  which  shall  sweep  through 
the  Church — from  ocean  to  ocean — sure,  if  once  undertaken,  to 
lead  into  the  fold  of  Christ,  the  Church  fold,  thousands  of  those 
waiting,  hungry,  timid,  loving  'lambs'  whom  Jesus  bids  us  'feed'?" 
Brethren  in  Christ,  I  pass  this  question  on  to  you.  Will  you,  who 
only  can,  inaugurate  this  movement?  Will  you  rally  your  forces, 
outline  your  plan,  and  backed  up  by  your  officers  and  all  the  teach- 
ers, begin  at  once  to  gather  the  harvest  white  and  only  waiting  to 
be  gathered  ? 

An  Earnest  Pastor 

In  one  school  in  Pennsylvania  the  pastor  himself  had  secured  the 
names  of  seventy-five  of  the  scholars  who  had  not  accepted  Christ, 
and  with  all  the  teachers  on  their  knees  he  read  over  these  names 
one  by  one  until  he  could  read  no  more,  because  of  the  sobs  of  those 
who  filled  the  room,  and  he  told  me  when  the  results  were  tabulated 
that  he  did  not  believe  there  was  one  of  the  seventy-five  that  had 
not  taken  a  stand  for  Christ. — Rev.  J.  W.  Chapman,  D.D. 


246  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

The  Most  Available  Souls 

Put  emphasis  on  the  Decision  Day  in  the  Sunday  School.  We 
do  not  believe  that  the  day  of  revivals  has  passed  or  ever  will  pass ; 
but  we  believe  that  the  key  of  the  situation  lies  in  the  Sunday  School. 
Here  is  a  field  not  far  away,  but  at  home ;  not  inaccessible,  but  ready 
at  hand;  not  with  few  isolated  souls,  but  with  great  masses  of 
people ;  a  field  not  slow  in  growth,  but  already  white  unto  the 
harvest.  It  contains  the  material  for  evangelistic  work — the  people 
who  are  near  the  kingdom,  yet  not  within  its  walls.  What  would 
the  pastor  who  expects  to  open  a  series  of  revival  meetings  give  if 
he  could  be  sure  of  seeing  on  the  opening  night  one  hundred  people 
before  him  who  are  not  church  members?  Yet  that  is  what  the 
pastor  might  perhaps  have  seen  in  his  own  Sunday  School  on  Sun- 
day afternoon  or  morning.  Why  not  begin  this  work  of  soul-win- 
ning right  there  where  are  the  souls  to  be  won  ?  The  Sunday  School 
now  supplies  the  church  with  about  85  per  cent  of  its  members,  and 
might  give  even  more  if  it  were  worked,  first  as  an  aggressive 
agency  to  bring  people  to  its  sessions,  and  then  as  an  evangelistic 
agency  to  bring  them  to  Christ. 

Direct  and  Personal 

It  would  not  seem  to  be  an  impossible  goal  to  make  sure  that 
every  pupil  in  your  Sunday  School  of  the  teen  age  got  a  direct  per- 
sonal invitation  to  accept  Christ.  In  one  of  the  large  cantonments 
of  soldiers  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  staff  of  thirty 
or  forty  secretaries,  with  the  help  of  volunteer  workers  from  the 
adjacent  city  churches,  questioned  every  one  of  the  forty  thousand 
or  fifty  thousand  soldiers  as  to  his  spiritual  condition.  Certainly 
any  Sunday-school  with  four  hundred  pupils  and  a  staff,  say,  of 
fifty  workers  ought  to  be  able  to  do  as  much. 

Bible  Decision  Days 

Think  of  them!  There  was  Abraham  called  to  decide  whether 
he  would  leave  home,  country,  friends,  and  go  out  not  knowing 
whither — all  he  knew  was  that  the  Lord  called  on  him  to  decide 
whether  or  not  he  would  obey.  Do  you  suppose  he  dawdled  over 
that  decision,  and  said,  "I  would  like  to  do  this  thing  which  I  sup- 
pose is  right,  but  I  don't  understand  much  about  it,  and  I  don't 
know  the  way,  and  I  don't  know  whether  I  shall  hold  out  till  I  get 
to  that  unknown  home  which  the  Lord  says  he  has  prepared  for 
me"? 

Then  look  at  that  great  Decision  Day  out  in  the  Wilderness  be- 
fore rugged  Mount  Sinai.     Can  you  not  see  that  great  camp  of 


DECISION  DAY  247 

hundreds  of  thousands  of  people  listening  to  the  voice  of  Moses? 
The  first  step  had  been  to  make  them  ashamed  of  their  sin.  Then 
Moses  called  for  instant  decision.  Hear  his  ringing  voice,  "Who  is 
on  the  Lord's  side?  Let  him  come  to  me!"  See  them  "go  forward" 
to  the  side  of  the  leader. 

And  now  they  are  in  the  promised  land,  in  the  lovely  valley  of 
Shechem,  with  the  grim  walls  of  rock  rising  on  either  side,  mounts 
of  cursing  and  of  blessing.  Which  should  it  be?  It  was  for  them 
to  choose.  Joshua  did  not  say,  "Go  home  and  think  over  this  mat- 
ter." Nor,  "Have  a  few  fast  days  and  weep  and  wail."  Nor, 
"Come  week  after  week  till  I  can  fully  instruct  you  in  what  this 
thing  means."  How  the  voice  of  the  soldier  Captain  accustomed  to 
giving  orders  rang  and  was  echoed  back  from  the  rocks:  "Choose 
ye — when?  This  day.  What?  Whom  ye  will  serve."  A  national 
Decision  Day  !    Think  of  that.    Pray  for  that. 

Again,  on  Mount  Carmel,  hear  Elijah  cry  out,  "How  long  halt  ye 
undecided?  Choose  now  between  Baal,  and  the  Lord,  and  follow 
one  or  the  other." 

I  cannot  stop  to  even  hint  at  the  many  New  Testament  Decision 
Days.  Again  and  again  when  the  Christ  called  "Follow  me"  quick 
decision  was  made.  And  there  was  a  certain  Decision  Day  at  Naza- 
reth, when  the  decision  was  on  the  wrong  side.  That  was  Decision 
Day  at  Jericho  when  Bartimeus  and  Zaccheus  decided  for  Christ. 
What  a  good  thing,  for  he  was  passing  by  then  but  never  came  that 
way  again.  Yes,  there  are  special  times  when  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is 
passing  by. — M.  G.  K. 

Sowing  and  Never  Reaping 

If  a  farmer  were  to  occupy  all  his  time  in  sowing  the  seed  and 
make  no  provision  for  the  gathering  of  a  harvest  which  he  would 
have  a  right  to  expect,  we  should  think  him  bereft  of  all  reason. 
There  are  certain  laws  governing  the  sowing  of  seed,  the  watching 
for  growth  and  development  and  the  reaping  of  the  harvest.  It  is 
likewise  true  that  there  are  certain  well  defined  laws  concerning  the 
use  of  God's  Word  in  teaching  and  preaching.  It  is  the  good  seed 
indeed,  and  the  heart  of  a  child  has  always  been  found  to  be  particu- 
larly good  ground  upon  which  it  may  fall.  If,  therefore,  there  are 
few  conversions  and  the  harvest  in  the  Sunday  School  is  not  gath- 
ered, the  responsibility  for  failure  cannot  be  with  the  Lord  of  the 
harvest,  but  must  be  with  those  who  are  supposed  to  be  the  laborers 
in  his  field.  I  can  find  no  reason  in  God's  Word  why  there  should 
not  be  a  constant  ingathering  of  the  children  and  young  people  into 
the  kingdom  of  Heaven,  why  there  may  not  be  frequent  harvest  sea- 
sons and  oft  repeated  decision  days. — Rev.  J.  W.  Chapman,  D.D. 


248  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

Two  Cautions 

A  Decision  Day,  preceded  by  preparation  and  prayer,  and  ob- 
served in  a  quiet,  reverent  spirit,  may  be  very  helpful  in  bringing 
pupils  who  have  already  given  their  hearts  to  Christ,  to  a  public  ac- 
knowledgment. Two  cautions  should  be  observed:  1.  Do  not  rely 
on  Decision  Day  to  the  exclusion  of  other  efforts.  2.  Do  not  make 
the  mistake  of  feeling  that  Decision  Day  is  the  culmination  and  end 
of  evangelistic  work  in  the  school.  It  should  rather  be  regarded  as 
a  day  of  enlistment  in  the  service  of  Christ,  to  be  followed  by  care- 
ful instruction  and  training. 

How  Decision  Day  May  Be  a  Failure 

One  Sunday  noon  a  superintendent  came  from  the  church  service 
into  the  Sunday-school  with  his  Bible  under  his  arm  and  a  new- 
formed  resolution  in  his  heart.  Going  over  to  the  secretary  of  the 
school,  a  conversation  which  is  substantially  as  follows  took  place: 
"I  think  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  observe  Decision  Day  this 
afternoon.  What  do  you  think?"  "I  think  it's  a  good  idea."  "Let 
us  have  a  Decision  Day."    "All  right!" 

Just  after  the  school  was  called  to  order  the  good  man  announced 
that  he  had  spoken  to  the  secretary  and  that  it  had  been  decided  to 
hold  Decision  Day  services. 

In  accordance  with  this  announcement,  there  was  especial  prayer 
offered,  and  the  time  for  the  study  of  the  lesson  was  shortened,  and 
toward  the  close  of  the  session  an  appeal  was  made  to  the  non- 
Christian  members  of  the  school  in  which  they  were  urged  to  accept 
Christ  as  their  Saviour. 

A  few  responded  by  signifying  their  acceptance  of  Christ,  but  the 
majority  of  those  present  were  either  bored  or  amused.  A  short 
time  afterward  it  was  plainly  evident  that  some  of  those  who  had 
decided  for  Christ  had  no  adequate  conception  of  what  they  had 
done. — Rev.  A.  H.  McKinney,  D.D. 

The  Pastor's  Privilege 

"No  pastor  can  conduct  the  Decision  Day  service  unless  he  has 
been  in  the  school  in  sympathy  with  the  teachers  and  scholars.  No 
one  can  conduct  it  so  effectively  as  he  if  the  results  are  to  be  con- 
served. No  one  is  so  competent  to  do  it.  If  he  in  this  way 
reaches  the  children,  he  will  be  much  more  able  to  reach  the 
parents." 

The  Natural  Time  for  Decision 

Jesus  said,  "Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me  and  forbid 


DECISION  DAY  249 

them  not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  The  child  should 
be  led  to  Christ  because  it  is  God's  will  that  the  child  be  saved. 

It  is  comparatively  easy  to  lead  the  child  to  Christ.  Vast  sums 
of  money,  much  time,  and  great  labor  are  expended  in  rescue  mis- 
sion work.  If  that  money,  time,  and  labor  were  put  into  definite 
efforts  to  lead  the  boy  and  girl  to  Christ,  the  results  would  be  far 
greater  and  there  would  not  be  such  great  necessity  for  rescue  work. 

Besides  this,  when  a  child  is  won  for  Jesus  the  future  life  with  its 
possibilities  belongs  to  him.  It  has  been  demonstrated  over  and  over 
again  that  a  large  majority  of  active  Christian  workers  to-day  con- 
fessed Christ  before  they  were  sixteen  years  old.  Decisions  for 
Christ  are  natural  in  the  adolescent  period.  Few  who  pass  it  with- 
out making  the  great  decision  enter  the  service  of  Christ.  Every 
encouragement  should  be  given  to  yield  the  heart  to  Christ  at  this 
time. 

Planning  for  Decision  Day 

In  planning  for  carrying  out  a  successful  Decision  Day,  certain 
points  must  be  carefully  considered.  Everything,  both  in  planning 
and  in  execution,  should  be  done  in  absolute  dependence  on  the 
Holy  Spirit.  To  know  the  mind  of  God,  and  to  be  in  such  an  atti- 
tude that  the  Holy  Spirit  can  use  the  workers,  there  must  be  much 
prayer. 

The  time  for  the  Decision  Day  exercises  should  be  announced  well 
in  advance.  The  pastor,  the  Sunday-school  officers,  and  teachers, 
the  parents  and  friends  of  the  pupils  should  be  asked  to  co-operate 
both  in  prayer  and  in  work.  Two  appeals  may  well  be  made  to 
every  pupil — one  privately  by  the  teacher  to  the  individual,  and  the 
other  by  the  pastor  or  superintendent  to  the  school  collectively. 

Those  whose  names  'have  been  taken  as  having  expressed  their 
desire  or  made  their  decision  to  follow  Christ,  should  be  followed 
up  by  personal  effort  on  the  part  of  those  best  fitted  to  help  them. 
Wherever  possible,  a  Pastor's  Probationers'  or  Instruction  Class 
should  be  formed. 

It  is  best  to  deal  with  the  pupils  individually  and  in  private.  Pa- 
tience, perseverance,  and  constant  vigilance  must  be  exercised.  Hap- 
hazard or  intcmittent  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  teachers  are  re- 
sponsible for  much  of  the  poor  Christian  discipleship  which  is  so 
greatly  lamented. 

Little  Girl's  Prayers 

Five  sailors  went  to  hear  Rev.  Dr.  A.  C.  Dixon  preach.  A  little  girl 
nine  years  of  age  noticed  them,  and  began  to  pray  earnestly  that,  if 
they  were  not  Christians,  they  might  be  converted  that  night.  When 
an  invitation  was  given,  one  went  forward ;  then  one  went  out.    She 


250  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

prayed  that  he  might  be  brought  back,  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  re- 
turned; soon  a  second  went  forward;  but  three  remained  in  their 
seats.  Several  men  spoke  to  them,  but  they  refused  invitations.  At 
last  the  eager  little  girl  herself  rose,  went  to  them,  and  pleaded  that 
they  would  accept  the  Saviour.  She  had  the  joy  of  seeing  them  all 
rise,  go  forward,  and  make  a  bold  confession  of  Christ.  This  inci- 
dent occurred  at  the  Bible  Institute  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  Sunday 
night,  October  30,  1921.  It  is  vouched  for  by  Miss  A.  S.  Wright, 
Hollywood,  Cal. 

Too  "Choicy"  in  Salvation 

Some  people  are  too  "choicy"  in  the  matter  or  way  of  salvation. 
Naaman,  in  the  old  time,  did  not  like  the  method  of  getting  healed. 
He  was  almost  as  foolish  as  a  certain  woman  who  complained 
about  the  life  preservers  to  the  captain  of  the  boat.  "Just  look  at 
them,"  she  said.  "What's  the  matter  with  them?"  asked  the  cap- 
tain. "Matter  with  them?"  echoed  the  woman.  "Don't  you  see  that 
they  art  dirty?  If  a  woman  with  a  nice  summer  dress  on  had  to 
put  one  of  those  things  over  it,  it  would  never  be  fit  to  wear  again!" 
— Christian  Herald. 

The  Value  of  Decision  Day 

Christians  are  all  agreed  that  young  people  ought  to  come  to 
Christ.    It  is  not  difficult  to  tell  why,  it  is  not  so. easy  to  tell  how. 

The  child  without  Christian  nurture  should  be  led  to  know  and 
love  God  in  Christ  Jesus.  It  should  be  remembered  that  while 
some  boys  and  girls  have  a  marked  experience  of  conversion,  many 
come  to  be  Christians  as  naturally  as  night  turns  into  day.  No  one 
should  feel  that  he  must  duplicate  the  experience  of  another. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  so  many  parents  feel  the  children 
should  receive  all  their  spiritual  training  in  the  Sunday-school. 
Every  boy  would  like  to  make  his  father  his  ideal,  but  too  few 
fathers  covet  that  place  enough  to  pay  the  price  for  it. 

The  Sunday-schools,  in  order  to  meet  the  great  responsibility  of 
winning  and  training  these  young  people,  have  adopted  various 
methods.  Some  schools  hold  monthly  evangelistic  services;  others 
have  special  evangelistic  meetings  for  the  children  at  a  time  other 
than  during  the  Sunday-school  services.  Among  the  many  institu- 
tions connected  with  the  Sunday-school  none  seem  destined  to  re- 
sult in  more  spiritual  good  than  that  which  is  popularly  known  as 
Decision  Day. 

Many  objections  are  raised  by  parents  to  the  observance  of  De- 
cision Day.  Some  parents  take  the  attitude  that  they  do  not  want 
their  children  unduly  influenced  in  regard  to  religious  matters;  they 


DECISION  DAY  251 

wish  them  to  grow  up  unbiased  and  to  choose  intelligently  when  they 
are  old  enough  to  do  so  for  themselves.  But  if  children  are  not  in- 
fluenced for  Christ,  they  are  being  most  strongly  and  persistently 
influenced  against  him.  No  child  can  grow  up  unbiased;  if  not 
turned  to  Christ,  he  will  be  turned  away  from  him.  Other  parents 
feel  their  children  are  too  young  to  become  Christians.  Others  say 
their  children  already  are  Christians.  That  may  be  so;  then  the 
effort  put  forth  on  Decision  Day  should  be  to  get  them  publicly  to 
take  a  stand  for  Christ.  This  will  affect  the  child  all  through  life 
and  will  also  encourage  others. 

Decision  Day  should  mean  an  especial  effort  put  forth,  after 
much  prayer  and  preparation,  to  have  every  unconverted  member 
of  the  Sunday-school  face  the  question  of  deciding  for  Christ,  and 
to  urge  every  Christian  member  of  the  Sunday-school,  who  had  not 
already  done  so,  to  confess  Christ.  We  observe  Decision  Day  in 
order  to  bring  to  fruitage  the  teaching  of  parents,  pastors  and  Bible- 
school  workers. — R. 

Some  Real  Decisions  for  Christ 

The  boys  and  girls  enter  the  intermediate  department  in  a  certain 
school  at  eight  or  nine  years,  and  remain  three  years.  In  giving  the 
summing  up  of  the  lesson,  which  was  an  appropriate  one,  the  su- 
perintendent asked  that  each  one  present  write  his  decision  on  a  bit 
of  paper, — a  little  personal  note  out  of  his  heart  to  the  superin- 
tendent. Every  one  in  the  room  responded.  Here  are  some  of  the 
expressions : 

"I  do  not  think  I  have  been  acting  just  like  a  Christian,  but  I  will 
try." 

"I  want  to  be  a  Christian  all  my  life.  I  will  try  to  do  as  God 
wishes  me  to."    From  a  girl. 

"I  intend  to  be  a  servant  of  God,  my  remaining  days,"  says  a  boy 
who  united  with  the  church  the  next  Sunday. 

"I  intend  to  be  a  Christian,  but  I  do  not  know  whether  I  will  join 
the  church.  I  will  decide  that  after  a  while,"  wrote  a  boy  who  de- 
cided it  the  next  Sunday. 

"I  choose  "his  day  to  serve  Christ,  and  to  do  his  will  all  my  life," 
— by  a  fine  lad  who  came  into  the  church  at  once. 

"I  want  to  become  a  Christian,  and  intend  to  pray  to  God  to  help 
me  serve  and  obey  him," — a  sweet,  motherless  girl. 

"I  am  not  old  enough  to  unite  with  the  church,  but  I  want  to  be  a 
Christian  first." 

An  honest  boy  writes :  "I  do  not  think  I  have  been  as  good  as  I 
could  have  been,  but  I  will  promise  with  all  my  heart  to  be  true  to 
the  Lord  and  serve  His  name,  for  it  is  my  one  great  wish  to  be  a 
Christian." 


252  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

A  sincere  girl  says :  "I  would  love  to  be  a  Christian,  but  I  know 
I  am  not  good  enough,  but  I  will  try  to  be,  if  God  will  help  me." 

A  boy,  who  has  known  what  temptation  is,  says,  "I  am  a  Chris- 
tian, and  always  will  be  one,  whether  in  church  or  at  play.  I  am 
going  to  have  God  for  my  Father  always." 

"I  want  to  be  a  Christian,  but  I  cannot  join  the  church  because  I 
am  not  large  enough." 

Nothing  was  said  to  these  boys  and  girls  about  "joining  church," 
though  that  idea  seems  to  have  entered  into  many  minds.  It  is  a 
serious  confusion  of  ideas  for  our  children  to  feel  that  joining  the 
church  is  the  end  of  attainments,  instead  of  its  beginning,  after  the 
decision  for  Christ  has  been  fully  made.  These  answers  are  given 
for  what  they  may  teach  others  who  have  the  care  of  children. — L. 

The  Great  Day 

The  Sabbath  morning  dawns,  ushered  in  by  the  prayers  and  af- 
fectionate anticipations  of  the  entire  people.  Surely  no  pastor  will 
fail  to  make  a  most  profound  impression  during  the  morning  serv- 
ice !  The  conduct  of  the  school  that  day  should  be  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  pastor  and  superintendent.  "A  stranger  intermeddleth 
not  with  their  joy."  And,  however  proper  it  may  be  to  invite  a 
neighboring  pastor  or  other  Christian  worker  to  be  present  and  as- 
sist, the  shepherd  of  the  flock  must  gather,  tend  and  feed  the  sheep 
and  the  lambs. 

Of  course  the  hymns  will  be  among  the  most  tender  and  exalted. 
It  may  be  well  to  lay  aside  the  lesson  of  the  day  and  to  devote  the 
entire  time  to  a  very  simple,  unmistakable  setting  forth  of  Christ 
Jesus  as  the  Saviour,  and  the  way  of  coming  to  him. 

If  thought  wise,  at  the  close  of  this  address,  which  should  not 
be  over  twelve  minutes  in  length,  the  classes  may  be  turned  over  to 
the  teachers  with  a  request  that  the  one  subject  of  conversation  and 
instruction  in  the  class  shall  be  the  personal  relation  of  each  scholar 
to  the  Lord  Jesus. 

Teachers  might  well  be  furnished  with  Decision  cards.  Full  op- 
portunity should  be  given  to  the  scholars  deliberately  to  sign  these 
cards.  And,  while  the  teacher  is  affectionately  interested,  he  should 
not  use  undue  pressure  to  obtain  hurried  signatures.  Indeed,  if  any 
of  the  scholars  desire  to  take  the  cards  home  and  to  consider  the 
matter  more  fully,  or  to  consult  their  fathers  and  mothers  before 
signing,  they  should  be  encouraged  to  do  so. 

Teacher's  Pledge  of  Prayer  and  Personal  Work 

God  helping  me,  I  will  earnestly  pray  each  day,  by  name,  for  the 
conversion  of  each  member  of  my  Sunday-school  class;  and  will 


DECISION  DAY  253 

endeavor  to  so  illustrate  in  my  life  the  gospel  of  Christ  which  I 
teach,  and  to  so  come  in  personal  contact  with  my  scholars  outside 
the  Sunday-school,  as  to  help  answer  my  own  prayers,  and  secure 
the  conversion  of  every  member  of  my  class. 


Decision  Day  a  Good  Method 

The  old  adage  about  burning  the  candle  at  both  ends  contains  a 
lot  of  good  advice,  and  yet  at  the  same  time,  as  Henry  Van  Dyke 
quaintly  quotes,  "It  is  better  to  burn  the  candle  at  both  ends,  and 
in  the  middle  too,  than  to  put  it  away  in  a  closet  and  let  the  mice 
eat  it."  We  have  need  to  remember  that  "He  that  saveth  his  life 
shall  lose  it."  We  are  saved  to  serve,  and  the  time  to  let  our  light 
shine  is  in  the  beginning,  so  that  God  may  have  the  full  benefit  of 
it.  So  many  selfishly  prefer  to  shine  for  the  world  all  the  best  part 
of  their  lives,  and  when  life  is  nearly  over  and  they  are  of  little 
use  they  are  willing  to  give  the  last  flickering  rays  to  the  One  who 
has  suffered  and  died  for  them.  Let  us  make  it  our  business  to  get 
decisions  for  Christ  from  our  young  people  while  they  are  young. 
The  observance  of  Decision  Day  is  one  good  method. 

Sample  Decision  Day  Cards 

The  use  of  some  sort  of  card  on  Decision  Day  is  almost  universal. 
The  following  are  samples  of  some  that  have  been  found  suitable. 

There  is  a  passage  in  Isaiah  which  seems  to  give  Scriptural  war- 
rant for  the  use  of  Decision  cards.  It  is  found  in  Isaiah  44 : 3-5 : 
"I  will  pour  my  spirit  upon  thy  seed  and  my  blessing  upon  thine 
offspring,  and  they  shall  spring  up  as  among  the  grass,  and  as  wil- 
lows by  the  water  courses.  One  shall  say  I  am  the  Lord's ;  and  an- 
other shall  call  himself  by  the  name  of  Jacob;  and  another  shall 
subscribe  with  his  hand  unto  the  Lord,  and  surname  himself  by  the 
name  of  Israel."  Indeed,  this  entire  passage  seems  to  be  Jehovah's 
word  of  encouragement  to  our  Sabbath-school  workers  during 
Decision  Days. 

Rev.  Dr.  John  Henry  Jowett  uses  these  two  decision  cards. 

My  Sacred  Decision     ( 1 ) 

Relying  upon  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  trusting  only  in  his  grace 
and  love,  I  resolve  to  offer  my  life  to  him  as  his  sacred  possession, 
in  humble  prayer  and  faith  that  he  will  lift  me  out  of  every  form 
of  evil  bondage  into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God. 

Name    .  . . 

Address 


254  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

Joining  the  Church     (2) 

Believing  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  trusting  him  as  my 
Saviour,  I  desire  to  confess  his  name  before  men  in  seeking  the 
fellowship  of  his  church ;  and  I  therefore  humbly  resolve  to  have 
my  name  enrolled  in  the  communion  of  the  visible  church,  and  be- 
come a  member  of  "the  household  of  faith." 

Name    . . . . 

Address   , 

Decision  Day  Card     (3) 

Turning  from  all  my  sins  and  trusting  in  the  Lord  Jesus  as  my 
personal  Saviour,  I  now  decide  henceforth  to  lead  a  Christian  life. 
With  God's  help,  I  will. 

Name 

Address   . . . 

Decision  Day  Card     (4) 

I  know  that  Jesus  Christ  died  for  my  sins,  and  has  asked  me  to 
accept  him  as  my  loving  Saviour.  I  know  that  he  wishes  all  who 
love  and  accept  him  to  do  this  publicly  before  others,  and  so,  looking 
to  him  for  strength,  I  have  joined  with  others  to-day  in  deciding 
to  accept  him  as  my  Saviour. 

Name , 

Address 

Decision  Day  Card     (5) 

I  do  accept  Christ  as  my  personal  Saviour  and  will  confess  him. 

Name 

Address i 

Church 

Decision  Day  Card     (6) 

I  acknowledge  Jesus  Christ  as  my  Lord,  and  I  trust  in  him  as  my 
Saviour.    From  this  day,  by  God's  help,  I  will  follow  him. 

Name 

Address 

A  Good  Card  to  Use     (7) 

Frank  Whitehall  Smith,  a  Junior  in  Princeton  College,  was  a  son 
of  Hannah  Whitehall  Smith.  He  was  drowned  at  Princeton  in  his 
Junior  year.  After  his  death  a  card  was  found  among  his  papers, 
upon  which  was  printed  the  following: 


DECISION  DAY  255 

I  take  God  to  be  my  Father. 
I  take  Jesus  Christ  to  be  my  Saviour. 
I  take  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be  my  Guide. 
I  take  the  Bible  to  be  the  rule  of  my  life. 
I  take  Christian  people  to  be  my  associates. 
I  take  Christian  work  to  be  my  duty. 

I  likewise  dedicate  myself  to  the  Lord,  and  this  I  do  freely,  de- 
liberately, sincerely  and  forever. 

Name    ,..,..., 

Address    , 

Church  Preference  

Are  you  a  church  member  here? Elsewhere? 

This  card  will  be  returned  to  you  after  it  is  recorded. 

Decision  Day  Card     (8) 

The  following  decision  card  was  used  by  the  late  Mr.  Charles  M. 
Alexander  in  his  army  camp  work. 

My  Decision 

Believing  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  died  for  me : — 

I  now  accept  him  as  my  Saviour, 

I  ask  him  to  blot  out  all  my  sins ; 

I  will  acknowledge  him  before  others, 

And  trust  him  day  by  day. 

If  you  make  the  above  decision,  put  your  own  name  (instead  of 
"whosoever"  in  John  3:  16),  and  sign  it  on  the  blank  line  below, 

"For  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son, 

that    i 

who  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

Acceptance  Card     (9) 

I  do  accept  Christ  as  my  personal  Saviour  and  will  confess  him. 

Name    , 

Address    . . .  . 

Church 

Decision  Day  Card     (10) 

I  have  an  Honest  Desire  henceforth  to  live  a  Christian  life. 
I  am  willing  to  follow  any  Light  God  will  give  me. 
I  ask  the  people  of  God  to  pray  for  me. 

Name    

Address    

Church  or  Pastor  Preferred 


256  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

Decision  Day  Card     (11) 

"Choose  You  This  Day  Whom  Ye  Will  Serve" 
I  am  not  now  a  member  of  the  Church.     I  accept  Christ  as  my 
personal  Saviour  and  hereby  confess  him. 

Name 

Address , 


My  Covenant  With  God     (12) 

I  have  this  day  accepted  and  confessed  Christ  as  my  Saviour, 
and  committed  the  direction  of  my  whole  life  to  him.  As  he  gives 
me  strength  I  will  strive  from  day  to  day  to  be  a  true  and  faithful 
Christian. 

Signed    ..,.., 

Date    . . Place    

Give  this  part  of  the  card  to  your  pastor,  superintendent,  teacher, 
or  a  member  of  the  session. 

Decision  Day  Card     (13) 

My  Covenant  with  God 

Believing  the  Gospel  I  turn  from  every  known  sin  to  Christ  and 
look  to  him  for  forgiveness  and  life.  I  do  now  receive  and  confess 
Christ  as  my  Saviour,  (John  1:12,  Matt.  10:32,  Rom.  10:9,  10) 
and,  trusting  that  he  will  keep  me,  I  commit  the  direction  of  my 
whole  life  to  him,  (Heb.  7:25;  Jude  24) . 


Signed 


Date , Place  

God's  Command:  Repent  and  believe  the  Gospel.     Mark  1:  15. 

The  Gospel :  Christ  died  for  our  sins  and  rose  again.  1  Cor. 
15:1-4. 

God's  Promise :  As  many  as  received  him  to  them  gave  he  the 
right  to  become  children  of  God.     John  1 :  12. 

rA  Double  Card     (14) 

I  Am  Not  a  Christian 

I  would  like  to  become  a  Christian.  I  am  willing  this  day  to 
confess  and  forsake  my  sins  and  begin  the  Christian  life. 

Name    

Address    

Class    


DECISION  DAY  257 

I  Am  a  Christian  but  Not  a  Church  Member 

I  have  been  trying  to  live  a  Christian  life.  I  feel  the  need  of 
uniting  with  the  church.  Consider  me  an  applicant  for  church 
membership. 

Name    ,. 

Address   , ,. 

Class   

Calling  Classes  on  Decision  Day 

If,  as  each  class  is  called,  the  Christian  and  those  now  ready 
to  confess  Christ  should  rise  together,  and  if  class  after  class  should 
thus  rise  and  remain  standing,  and  if  at  the  beginning  and  close 
of  the  roll  call  a  loving  invitation  should  be  given  for  instant  de- 
cisions, to  be  shown  by  simply  standing  with  the  rest,  many  would 
be  swept,  by  the  current  of  feeling  and  action,  over  their  doubts 
and  difficulties,  which  once  surmounted,  would  never  trouble  them 
again.  Only,  one  caution ;  let  nothing  be  done  or  said  that  would 
fix  a  soul  in  denial,  and  place  it  definitely  in  opposition  to  Christ. 
This  is  Decision  Day,  and  they  have  not  decided  yet;  that  is  all. 
They  must  think  it  over.  They  must  talk  it  over  with  the  teachers. 
They  must  pray  about  it.  They  mustjiever  call  it  a  closed  ques- 
tion till  the  decision  is  made.  And  they  must  remember  that  to- 
morrow may  be  too  late. 

After  Decision  Day — What? 

Christian  nurture,  of  course,  of  the  most  painstaking  and  prac- 
tical kind.  But  how  shall  this  be  secured?  Permit  a  suggestion 
or  two  spoken  not  in  theory,  but  out  of  personal  experience. 

A  Catechetical  or  Communion  Class — Call  it  by  any  name  that 
seems  wisest  is  my  first  suggestion.  Try  to  get  every  child  who 
decided  for  Christ  to  join  this  class,  otherwise  the  start  is  likely 
to  prove  only  a  nominal  or  negative  one.  To  this  end,  I  would 
advise  that  two  such  classes  be  formed — one  meeting  in  the  after- 
noon to  accommodate  the  younger  children,  another  in  the  evening 
for  those  engaged  during  the  day  with  work  or  study.  The  Pastor 
would  do  well  to  take  this  class  himself,  and  if  he  has  no  unoccupied 
time,  he  will  find  he  has  many  appointments  or  less  importance  that 
he  would  be  justified  in  cancelling  to  keep  this  one.  He  should 
go  over  with  the  children  all  the  essential  truths  of  the  Gospel, 
starting,  of  course,  with  the  fact  and  nature  of  sin,  and  then  turn- 
ing to  God's  plan  of  saving  men  from  sin.  Such  questions  as,  What 
is  it  to  be  a  Christian  ?  How  may  I  know  I  am  a  Christian  ?  How 
may  I  maintain  a  Christian  life?    Why  should  I  join  the  Church? 


258  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

How  may  I  fit  myself  for  Church  membership?  and  others  of  like 
bearing,  will  naturally  all  be  answered  with  more  or  less  fullness  in 
the  course  of  the  instruction. 

The  children  should  not  be  kept  more  than  a  half  hour,  or  pos- 
sibly, in  exceptional  cases,  three-quarters  of  an  hour;  and  a  few 
verses  read  responsively,  or  repeating  in  concert  a  familiar  passage 
like  the  Twenty-third  Psalm,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  a  little  sing- 
ing, will  help  to  make  the  class  more  attractive  and  interesting  to 
the  children. 

The  Pastor,  in  beginning  this  work,  will  need  to  set  himself  to 
be  simple,  illustrative,  patient,  true  to  his  own  experience,  gentle, 
and,  above  all  else,  to  keep  himself  from  turning  school-master. 
The  class  must  be  put  on  a  high  spiritual  level,  or  it  will  be  sure 
to  fail  of  wholesome  results. 

My  second  suggestion  would  be  to  organize  these  young  recruits 
at  once  for  service.  Spiritual  exercise,  we  must  not  forget,  is 
with  children  no  less  than  older  people  one  of  the  first  conditions 
of  spiritual  growth.  To  set  them  to  work  will  require  ingenuity 
and  careful  study,  but  the  Pastor  who  is  at  all  resourceful  will 
have  little  difficulty  here.  If  there  is  not  already  in  existence  a 
Junior  Christian  Endeavor  Society,  one  should  be  organized  forth- 
with, and  the  children  induced  to  join  it. 

My  third  suggestion :  Let  the  minister  go  over  his  membership 
with  care  and,  selecting  the  most  competent  people  among  them, 
appoint  for  each  child  a  spiritual  guardian,  who  shall  be  asked 
to  make  the  nurture  of  that  child's  religious  life  his  special  study 
and  attention.  He  should  see  that  the  child  has  good  literature  to 
read,  encourage  his  regular  attendance  at  church,  occasionally  visit 
him,  or  invite  the  child  to  his  own  home,  and,  by  these  and  various 
other  means,  seek  to  deepen  and  mature  the  Christian  life  of  this 
spiritual  ward. — John  Balcom  Shaw,,  D.D. 

Organize  a  Communion  Class 

At  the  close  of  the  tender  and  joyous  Decision  Day  service,  all 
those  who  have  signed  cards,  and  others  too,  should  be  gathered 
by  the  help  of  their  teachers  into  a  meeting  for  the  creation  of  a 
Communion  Class.  The  faithful  pastor  will  desire  immediately 
to  see  those  who  have  taken  their  first  step  in  confessing  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  to  give  them  his  cheering  words.  He  will  desire  to 
form  them  into  his  own  special  class.  He  will  have  the  assistance 
of  the  superintendent  and  the  other  workers.  The  name  and  ad- 
dress of  each  member  of  the  class  will  be  recorded.  They  will 
be  given  some  specific  words  of  cheer  and  guidance,  and  announce- 
ment will  be  made  of  the  regular  meetings  of  this  class  and  of 
the  general   outline  of   the  matters   to  be  considered.     Here   the 


DECISION  DAY  259 

pastor  will  find  his  best  coign  of  vantage.  Here  he  can  meet  the 
young  inquirers  and  those  who  have  decided  for  Christ,  and,  instead 
of  seeing  them  hurried  without  intelligent  preparation  for  admission 
into  the  Church,  he  can  give  them  explicit  words  of  instruction 
and  guidance  concerning  the  vital  matters  of  sin  and  salvation,  the 
need  of  a  Saviour;  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  our  behalf;  the 
true  nature  of  repentance  and  faith;  what  is  involved  in  an  open 
confession  of  Christ ;  and  preparation  for  the  Holy  Communion ; 
the  duties  of  church  members ;  prayer  and  the  study  of  God's  word ; 
and  subjects  of  like  importance,  so  that  when  his  lambs  are  received 
into  the  fold  he  may  feel  that  they  have  come  prepared. 

The  unspeakable  advantage  of  such  classes — call  them  com- 
munion, catechetical,  pastor's  preparatory,  or  by  whatever  name — 
has  been  demonstrated  by  the  experience  of  all  Christian  ministers. 

The  Pastor's  Place  in  Results 

The  conservation  of  the  results  of  Decision  Day  will  depend  very 
largely  upon  the  pastor,  who  should  at  once  take  steps  to  carry 
out  the  plans  that  he  has  long  ago  made  for  helping  the  various 
individuals  to  carry  out  the  decisions  they  have  made.  For  ex- 
ample, the  young  converts  should  be  put  into  classes  for  especial 
teaching;  those  who  confessed  Christ  should  be  put  into  a  com- 
municants' class  for  instruction,  with  a  view  to  church  member- 
ship, and  those  who  decided  to  engage  in  definite  service  should  be 
directed  and  encouraged  in  that  service. 

Our  Children  Called 

The  history  of  the  church  proves  that  many  of  those  who  have 
been  the  real  pillars  in  the  house  of  God  came  to  an  acceptance 
of  Christ  before  the  age  of  twelve  years.  So,  whatever  may  be 
our  individual  opinion  concerning  the  conversion  of  children,  God 
said :  "Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them 
not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  Heaven." — Rev.  J.  Wilbur 
Chapman,  D.D. 

A  Teacher's  Prayer 

My  Lord,  I  do  not  ask  to  stand 
As  king  or  prince  of  high  degree; 

I  only  pray  that  hand  in  hand 
A  child  and  I  may  come  to  Thee. 

To  teach  a  tender  voice  to  pray, 
Two  childish  eyes  Thy  face  to  see, 

Two  feet  to  guide  in  Thy  straight  way — 
This  fervently  I  ask  of  Thee. 


260  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

Oh,  grant  Thy  patience  to  impart, 
Thy  holy  law,  Thy  words  of  truth. 

Give,  Lord,  Ihy  grace,  that  my  whole  heart 
May  overflow  with  love  for  youth. 

As  step  by  step  we  tread  the  way, 

Trusting,  and  confident,  and  free — 
A  child  and  I  shall,  day  by  day, 

Find  sweet  companionship  with  Thee. 

— Richardson  Bradley. 

The  First  Thing 

Imprimis,  begin  now.  The  first  decisions  of  decision  day  must 
be  made  by  the  teachers.  Hold  a  meeting,  teachers  and  officers 
together.  Let  each  teacher  tell  how  many  scholars  in  his  class  are 
yet  outside  the  church.  By  the  time  this  list  is  completed  you 
will  have  formed  a  sufficient  argument  for  Decision  Day.  You 
will  decide  to  observe  it. — A.  R.  Wells. 

Two  Methods 

The  United  States  Government  has  two  methods  of  saving  human 
life.  The  Life  Saving  Station  and  the  Light  House.  In  the  Life 
Saving  Station  there  is  little  work  to  do  in  time  of  calm  or  even 
in  time  of  storm,  until  the  boat  has  been  buffeted  and  driven  upon 
the  shoals  or  beaten  upon  the  rocks.  Then,  when  all  are  terror- 
stricken  and  life  is  immediately  imperiled,  the  life-boats  are  sent 
out  and  strenuous  efforts  made  against  great  odds  to  save  the  pas- 
sengers. In  the  Light  House,  day  by  day,  the  lenses  are  polished, 
the  lamps  filled,  the  wicks  trimmed  and  when  twilight  begins  to 
gather  the  light  shines  out  across  the  waters,  either  in  time  of  quiet 
or  time  of  storm,  to  warn  the  passing  boat  from  places  of  danger 
and  guide  it  into  an  harbor  of  safety.  While  those  who  labor 
in  the  Life  Saving  Station  deserve  more  credit  than  we  can  ex- 
press, yet  those  who  work  in  the  Light  House  certainly  succeed 
in  saving  many  more  lives. 

The  church  of  Jesus  Christ  has  two  methods  of  saving  souls. 
One  method  is  to  wait  until  much  of  the  earthly  life  is  passed,  until 
the  soul,  beaten  by  the  storms  of  sin,  is  driven  upon  the  shoals  of 
despair  and  cries,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?"  Then  the 
brave  and  devoted  Christian  men  and  women  come  to  their  assist- 
ance and  lead  them  from  darkness  into  light.  The  other  is  the 
Sunday  School  method  of  leading  a  soul  into  the  knowledge  of 
Jesus  Christ  as  the  Saviour  of  men  early  in  life.  It  has  been  aptly 
said  that  he  who  leads  a  child  to  Christ  not  only  "saves  a  soul 


DECISION  DAY  26* 

from  death,  but  a  soul  plus  a  life."  So  long  as  there  are  men  and 
women  who  have  been  led  astray  into  lives  of  sin,  there  will  be 
need  of  the  strenuous  efforts  which  are  always  necessary  to  lead 
them  to  Christ,  but  how  much  better  it  would  be  if  more  atten- 
tion were  given  to  that  department  of  church  work  which  is  labor- 
ing earnestly  to  save  our  children.  Let  us  not  pay  less  attention 
to  the  saving  of  men  and  women,  but  let  us  give  more  attention  to 
the  saving  of  the  child. 

To  this  end  there  should  be  several  Decision  Days  during  the  year. 
The  young  should  be  led  to  a  definite  decision  for  Christ. 

To  the  child  who  has  been  taught  from  infancy  to  love  God 
as  his  Father  and  Jesus  Christ  as  his  Saviour  and  to  whom  the 
Spirit  life  may  have  been  imparted,  the  decision  may  be  but  a 
ratification  of  the  teaching  which  he  has  received  from  his  parents 
or  his  Sunday  School  teacher,  or  it  may  be  but  the  ratification  by 
the  will  of  that  which  the  heart  has  already  chosen.  To  the  child 
which  has  not  been  brought  early  to  a  knowledge  of  Jesus,  the 
decision  will  be  of  a  different  nature  and  the  experience  more 
radical.  But  in  both  cases  the  need  of  decision  is  absolutely 
essential. 

Divine   Love 

"Even  so  it  is  not  the  will  of  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven, 

that  one  of  these  little  ones  should  perish."     Matt.  18:  14. 

1.  The  Father's  will.     "It  is  not  the  will  of  your  Father." 

2.  The  Saviour's  love.     He  yearns  for  the  little  ones'  safety. 

3.  The  Holy  Spirit's  word.     He  has  written  it. 

4.  The  source  of  joy.     The  Salvation  of  the  children. 

5.  The  light  of  hope.     Not  one  shall  perish. 

Boys  of  the   Bible 

I.  The  cheerful  boy.  Isaac,  Gen.  21 :  5.  Isaac  means  "laugh- 
ing." A  joy  to  his  parents.  V.  6.  A  willing,  obedient  disposition 
makes  cheerfulness. 

II.  The  ambitious  boy.  Joseph,  Gen.  37 :  5-8.  Ambition  when  it 
is  good  is  consistent  with  innocence  and  purity. 

III.  The  devout  boy.  Samuel,  1  Sam.  2 :  18.  The  boy  who 
loves  God's  house  and  hears  God's  voice,  and  who  serves  God  as 
best  he  can. 

IV.  The  patriotic  boy.  David,  1  Sam.  17:40.  Who  defends  his 
father's  flock  and  his  country  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 

V.  The  heroic  boy.  Daniel,  Dan.  1 :  8.  Brave  enough  to  say  No 
in  a  king's  palace.  Learn  to  say  No  and  it  will  prove  to  be  of 
more  use  to  you  than  to  read  Latin. 


262  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

Use  of  a  Boy 

John  6 : 9 

How  was  the  boy  in  the  multitude?  He  was  desirous  of  hearing 
Christ  speak.  Boys  always  found  in  the  crowd ;  always  to  the  front. 
We  may  learn — 

1.  The  interest  a  boy  can  have  in  Jesus. 

2.  The  use  Jesus  can  make  of  a  boy. 

3.  Always  best  to  keep  in  good  company,  for  being  blessed,  and 
becoming  a  blessing  to  others. 

Little  Ships 

"And  there  were  also  with  him  other  little  ships."     Mark  4 :  36. 
Here  we  have  little  pictures,  little  treasures,  little  traders,  and 
little  pilgrims. 

1.  Little  ships  were  not  forgotten.     Hope  for  all. 

2.  Little  ships'  need  in  the  storm.     A  picture  for  all. 

3.  Little  ships  in  touch  with  Jesus.     The  anchor  for  all. 

4.  Little  ships  enjoying  the  calm.     A  blessing  for  all. 

5.  Little  ships  in  active  service.     A  lesson  for  all. 

Why  a  Boy  Should  Be  a  Christian 

1.  Reason  one.  You  need  the  help  of  Christ.  You  are  in  the 
world,  and  you  must  pass  through  it.  You  will  have  questions 
to  settle  which  you  will  not  quite  know  how  to  decide  if  you  are 
left  alone  to  yourself.  You  will  be  tempted  to  do  wrong.  You 
will  have  more  or  less  trouble,  and  no  one  will  help  you  in  all  these 
things  so  well  as  Jesus  Christ. 

Besides  this,  you  have  a  character  to  form.  Life  is  not  all  for 
fun,  even  for  boys.  Jesus  is  the  only  One  who  ever  lived  a  perfect 
life.  He  is,  therefore,  the  best  teacher  you  can  have.  But  more 
than  that,  he  will  come  into  your  heart  and  live  with  you  if  you 
will  let  him,  for  he  says :  "Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock ; 
if  any  man  (or  boy)  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will  come 
in  to  him." 

You  know  how  it  is  when  you  are  with  a  very  good  man.  You 
come  to  think  as  he  thinks,  and  do  as  he  does,  and  it  is  easy 
to  be  good  in  his  presence.  Much  more  will  you  find  it  easy  to 
be  good  if  you  will  let  Christ  come  into  your  heart  and  direct  your 
life. 

Then,  too,  Jesus  is  the  only  one  who  can  forgive  sin,  and,  my 
dear  boy,  you  are  a  sinner,  for  the  Bible  says  so,  and  you  know  it. 
Do  you  not  therefore  need  a  Saviour? 

2.  Reason  two.    Jesus  needs  your  help.     He  has  a  place  for  you 


DECISION  DAY  263 

in  his  kingdom,  and  a  work  for  you  to  do.  He  needs  you  in  your 
school  and  on  the  playground  to  show  how  brave  and  manly  and 
true  a  Christian  boy  can  be.  He  needs  you  in  your  home  to  brighten 
it  by  a  happy  life,  as  he  brightened  his  home  when  a  boy.  He 
needs  you  everywhere  to  live  for  him  and  talk  for  him  and  to  win 
other  boys  to  himself,  for  God  wants  the  boys. 

And  what  a  grand  thing  it  is  that  Jesus  does  need  you.  You 
would  be  sorry  to  think  that  he  had  no  use  for  you,  and  that 
the  world  would  go  along  just  as  well  without  you.  You  need 
not  think  so,  for  there  is  plenty  of  work  that  will  not  be  done 
unless  you  do  it.  Respond  to  his  call.  Come  up  to  his  help,  as  a 
good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ. 

3.  Reason  three.  His  requirements  are  reasonable.  All  that  he 
asks  of  you  is  to  do  right.  He  does  not  expect  you  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian man,  but  a  Christian  boy,  with  all  a  boy's  love  of  fun  and  frolic. 
He  expects  you  to  run  and  jumrj  and  shout  as  loud  as  ever,  but 
never  to  forget  that  you  are  one  of  Christ's  boys. 

4.  Reason  four.  As  we  think  about  the  future  the  outlook  is 
very  bright  for  a  Christian  boy.  The  same  Jesus  whom  he  has 
loved  and  served  in  life  will  be  with  him  in  the  hour  of  death,  and 
will  usher  him  into  the  gates  of  the  Eternal  City.  Eternity  is  a 
long  time,  my  boy,  an  awfully  long  time  if  spent  apart  from  Jesus, 
but  a  blessed  long  time  if  spent  in  his  company.  ( 

5.  Reason  five.  You  ought  to  be  a  Christian,  and  you  know  it. 
Christ  died  for  you.  He  loves  you  and  he  longs  for  your  love, 
and  it  is  a  burning  shame  for  you  not  to  love  him  and  try  to  please 
him.  Will  you  not  begin  to-day,  my  boy,  by  asking  him  to  forgive 
your  sins  and  enroll  you  as  one  of  his  followers?  The  manliest 
thing  a  boy  can  do  is  to  stand  up  for  Jesus. 

When  President  Garfield  was  a  boy  at  Williams  College,  he 
climbed  Mount  Grey  lock  one  day  with  a  lot  of  his  companions. 
Their  plan  was  to  spend  the  night  on  the  mountain.  Seated  around 
the  camp  fire  they  sang  college  songs  and  told  stories  all  the 
evening.  At  length  young  Garfield  took  a  Testament  out  of  his 
pocket  and  said :  "Boys,  it  is  my  custom  to  read  a  chapter  in  the 
Bible  and  have  a  prayer  before  going  to  bed.  Shall  we  have  it 
all  together?"  And  they  did.  That  is  the  kind  of  boy  that  you 
and  I  admire ;  one  who  serves  the  Lord  and  isn't  afraid  to  say  so. 
That  is  the  kind  of  boy  I  hope  you  will  be;  a  boy  who  can  say 
from  his  heart: — 

"I  will  go  where  you  want  me  to  go,  dear  Lord, 

Over  mountain  or  valley  or  sea ; 
I  will  say  what  you  want  me  to  say,  dear  Lord, 

I  will  be  what  you  want  me  to  be." 

— Author  Unknown. 


VIII 

PASTORAL  EVANGELISM 

If  the  minister  of  a  church  has  a  soul-hunger  for  a  revival  in 
that  church,  even  though  it  seems  impossible,  let  him  praise  God 
for  his  hunger  and  claim  his  Lord's  promises.  In  the  power  of 
the  prayers  of  a  little  group — though  there  are  only  two  or  three — 
who  will  join. him  in  praying  through,  let  him  preach  the  truths  that 
point  straight  to  the  revival  of  the  individual  and  the  church  and 
the  community  as  the  only  hope  of  escape  from  the  bondage  of 
Satan. 

Having  a  Revival 

A  revival  is  the  result  of  one  or  more  persons'  letting  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  be  not  only  their  Saviour  but  their  supreme  Lord 
and  Master;  faithfully  studying  the  Word  of  God  to  know  his 
will ;  faithfully  praying  in  his  name  in  order  that  his  will  may  be 
done  in  them  and  through  them;  faithfully  witnessing  to  his  power 
in  order  that  he  may  enter  into  lives  round  about  them.  When 
the  mind  of  Christ  becomes  the  mind  of  one  or  more  persons  in  a 
church,  and  his  burdens  become  their  burdens,  his  suffering  their 
suffering,  his  intercession  their  intercession,  his  witnessing  their 
witnessing, — a  revival  is  likely  to  follow. — Sunday  School  Times. 

Two  Pastors 

Years  ago  two  classmates  were  called  to  be  pastors.  They  were1 
good  young  men.  The  one  was  a  man  of  good  abilities,  the  other 
was  a  genius.  As  they  neared  the  grave  the  latter  mourns*  over 
the  barrenness  of  his  ministry.  The  former  exulted  over  the  pros- 
pect of  meeting  in  heaven  many,  many  hundreds  of  his  spiritual 
children.  Why  this  difference?  They  were  both  highly  esteemed, 
but  they  started  with  a  different  purpose.  The  man  of  genius 
proposed  to  preach  great  sermons.  He  would  draw  and  hold  the 
people  by  the  power  of  his  argument,  the  fervor  of  his  intellect, 
and  the  soundness  of  his  doctrine.  He  had  a  literary  enthusiasm 
for  the  Bible.  He  enjoyed  logic,  general  instruction,  and  brilliant 
style.  He  lacked  faith  and  point,  and  concentration  of  purpose  and 
power.  He  often  neglected  to  pray  for  the  impenitent.  Having 
preached  a  good  sermon  he  left  the  result  with  a  sovereign  God. 

The  very  first  day  that  the  other  young  pastor  looked  down  upon 

264 


PASTORAL  EVANGELISM  265 

his  congregation  he  said  to  himself :  "These  are  my  dear  people. 
I  am  responsible  for  their  souls,  and,  God  helping  me,  they  shall 
be  won  to  Christ."  And  so  he  gave  himself  to  his  work.  He 
prepared  his  own  soul.  He  aroused  the  sympathy  and  co-operation 
of  the  church.  He  made  the  Sunday  School,  the  meeting  of  the 
week,  and  the  personal  interviews  exceedingly  interesting  and  im- 
pressive. He  loved  the  souls  of  his  people.  He  adopted  the  most 
appropriate  revival  methods.  His  whole  soul  was  fixed  on  one 
resolve. 

In  winning  the  people  to  Christ  the  difference  between  these 
men  was  about  the  same  that  we  see  in  two  men  of  business. 
The  one  hoped  for  it,  the  other  believed  in  it;  the  one  desired  it, 
the  other  willed  it;  the  one  tried  it,  the  other  did  it. 

The  Cost  of  a  Revival 

Every  pastor  wants  a  revival  in  his  church.  In  fact,  it  is  the 
cry  of  the  soul  that  in  some  way,  by  some  means,  there  might 
come  to  his  church  a  blessed  revival.  While  this  is  true,  yet  there 
are  some  who  are  not  willing  to  pay  the  cost  of  a  great  revival. 
They  will  take  it  if  it  just  drops  down  from  above  without  any 
effort  on  their  part.  What  is  the  cost  one  must  pay  to  have  a  re- 
vival in  his  church? 

1.  We  must  be  willing  to  pay  the  cost  of  a  careful  preparation 
both  on  the  part  of  the  preacher  and  his  church.  Many  a  revival 
fails  of  success  because  the  preacher  has  not  prepared  himself  for 
the  revival.  He  should  be  prepared  in  mind,  body  and  soul  for  the 
great  work.  Having  prepared  himself,  the  faithful  pastor  will 
find  but  little  trouble  in  preparing  his  church. 

2.  We  should  be  prepared  to  pay  the  cost  of  a  long  and  hard 
pull.  Many  a  revival  fails  because  it  is  closed  too  soon.  In  the 
day  of  sin  and  indifference  you  can  not  undo  in  a  week  what  sin 
and  the  devil  have  been  doing  a  whole  lifetime  in  men.  It  costs 
something  to  hold  on;  yes,  much  faith,  hard  work,  a  great  deal 
of  prayer  and  a  cheerful  heart,  all  the  time  believing  God  is  going 
to  see  something  done  before  the  close.  We  should  go  into  the 
revival  meeting  to  gain  great  victories. 

3.  We  should  be  willing  to  pay  the  cost  of  a  complete  surrender 
of  our  all  to  God.  If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  "Go  sell — give."  These 
words  to  the  young  man  by  Christ  should  be  heard  by  the  preacher 
who  desires  a  revival.  "Go."  Anywhere  and  everywhere  hunting 
for  souls.  "Go."  Out  of  self  into  Christ  in  a  surrender  of  your 
all.  "Sell."  Sell  out  your  old  notions  and  completely  follow  Christ. 
"Give,"  yes,  "give."  You  should  give  out  all  you  have  for  Christ 
and  the  Church.  Resolve  you  will  have  a  revival,  cost  what  it 
may.     Prayer,  faith,  work,  preaching,  singing,  house-to-house,  hand- 


266  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

to-hand  work,  all  at  it,  hard  at  it  and  holding  on  to  God  and  the 
meeting  till  results  are  seen. — Rev.  Robert  Stevens. 

The  Pastor's  Relation  to  the  Revival 

A  young  city  pastor  recently  said :  "I  am  so  discouraged ;  I  watch 
and  pray  and  preach  and  work;  but  it  is  so  dark;  my  people  are 
respectable  and  conservative;  they  are  kind  and  attentive,  but  there 
is  no  spiritual  quickening;  there  are  no  conversions  to  God;  I  am 
trying  to  do  my  best ;  do  tell  me  what  more  can  be  done !" 

The  late  Dr.  Gardner  Spring,  of  the  Brick  Church,  New  York, 
was  greatly  depressed  in  his  early  ministry.  He  says :  "It  seemed 
to  me  that  I  must  abandon  my  post  and  never  preach  another 
sermon."  He  saw  no  way  of  securing  a  religious  movement.  The 
revival  that  soon  followed  was  a  revelation  to  him. 

Another  beloved  pastor  recently  said :  "I  weep  and  say,  'Lord, 
speak  for  thy  servant  heareth.'  I  preach  with  all  my  heart  and 
soul;  I  dismiss  the  people;  they  go  out  into  the  world  impressed; 
but  the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil  press  in,  and  by  the  coming 
Sabbath  the  impressions  are  lost.     What  can  I  do?" 

One  of  the  most  able  pastors  rushed  into  a  ministers'  meeting 
and  said :  "Brethren,  you  must  all  come  to  my  help !  A  revival 
of  religion  has  begun  in  my  church,  and  I  know  not  what  to  do." 

A  member  of  an  evangelistic  committee  once  said:  "Wherever 
we  go  we  always  hear  this  one  remark:  'Our  difficulties  here  are 
very  peculiar.'  "  Each  church  seems  to  be  palsied  by  the  idea  of 
insuperable  obstacles.  Crowds  of  churches  are  thus  waiting, — wait- 
ing, it  may  be,  like  the  blinded  sinner,  for  the  interference  of  heaven. 

God  has  disclosed  to  us  the  methods  used  in  the  revivals  of 
Josiah  and  Nehemiah.  Jesus  shows  us  how  the  revival  began  in 
Samaria,  and  Luke  how  it  commenced  in  the  Jerusalem  chamber. 

Urge  upon  all  your  people  the  supreme  worth  of  right  feeling, 
true  prayer  and  wise  action.  Show  that  revivals  without  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  are  a  monstrosity  and  a  failure.  Con- 
stantly refer  to  the  best  methods  of  reaching  the  neglecters  of  the 
sanctuary.  Do  this  with  such  clearness  that  Christians  in  ordinary 
circumstances  and  with  honest  desires  may  see  their  way  to  an 
immediate  and  powerful  revival. 

Will  you  not  engage  in  such  work?  Can  you  do  a  better  thing? 
To  be  sure  the  outward  prospect  is  dark.  Men's  hearts  are  hard 
and  callous.  The  people  seem  to  be  marshalled  around  the  god  of 
this  world.  Satan  seems  bound  to  defeat  us.  He  has  the  vantage 
ground.  His  citadels  are  manned.  His  banners  are  waving  over 
every  valley  and  his  standards  are  fixed  on  every  hilltop.  But  our 
Lord  is  omnipotent.  Look  to  him.  He  has  determined  to  prevail. 
He  says:  "And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me." 


PASTORAL  EVANGELISM  .      267 

(John  12:  32).  Says  God:  "I  have  sworn  .  .  .  that  unto  me  every 
knee  shall  bow."  (Isa.  45:23).  These  revivals  are  coming.  They 
must  come,  for  nations  are  to  be  born  in  a  day.  "The  Prince  of 
this  world  shall  be  cast  out."  (John  12:31).  Jesus  is  on  our 
side.  He  loves  revivals.  Angels  rejoice  over  them.  Let  us  arise 
in  the  majesty  of  God's  strength.  Let  us  press  on — vast  in  num- 
bers, one  in  purpose,  bold  in  action,  supreme  in  faith,  quenchless 
in  zeal.  Our  Leader  calls.  Light  is  dawning,  fear  is  vanishing,  vic- 
tory is  coming. 

How  to  Win  Souls 

William  Evans,  in  his  book,  "How  To  Win  Souls,"  says  that 
successful  soul  winning  for  God  is  conditioned  upon  certain  quali- 
fications that  are  few  and  simple,  and  within  the  reach  of  the 
humblest  child  of  God.     He  suggests  seven  of  them: 

1.  Be  a  Christian  yourself.  "First  take  the  beam  out  of  thine 
own  eye,  and  then  thou  shalt  see  clearly  to  cast  out  the  mote  that  is 
in  thy  brother's  eye." 

2.  Live  in  the  Spirit.  "And  the  Spirit  said  unto  Philip,  Go  near 
and  join  thyself  to  his  chariot."  We  must  "live,  move  and  have 
our  being"  in  the  Spirit. 

3.  Have  a  desire  to  see  souls  saved.  "And  when  he  beheld 
the  city  he  wept  over  it." 

4.  Have  a  working  knowledge  of  the  Bible.  The  Word  of 
God  is  "the  Sword  of  the  Spirit." 

5.  Have  confidence  in  the  word  and  promises  of  God.  "It  shall 
not  return  unto  me  void,  but  it  shall  accomplish  that  which  I  please, 
and  it  shall  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I  sent  it." 

6.  Have  confidence  in  the  power  of  God.  "For  the  Son  of  man 
is  come  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost." 

7.  Must  be  a  man  of  prayer.  "Continuing  steadfastly  in  prayer," 
remembering  that  though  "Paul  may  plant,  and  Apollos  water, 
yet  it  is  God  that  must  give  the  increase." 

Special   Evangelistic    Meetings 

All  the  agencies  of  the  church,  the  home,  the  school,  the  pulpit, 
and  the  public  and  stated  services,  should  have  as  a  chief  object 
the  winning  of  souls  to  Christ.  Some  of  these  agencies  have  lost 
their  interest  in  this  object  and  regard  their  purpose  as  only  edu- 
cational. The  special  meetings  are  regarded  by  many  as  the  only 
means  of  evangelistic  work.  Special  meetings  have  been  blessed 
of  God  in  all  the  centuries,  but  there  always  has  been  and  now  is 
a  strong  temptation  to  artificiality.  We  will  all  recognize  the  fact 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  divine  Executive  Agent  in  any  regener- 


268      .         THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

ative  work.  It  is  the  Spirit  alone  that  quickeneth  and  giveth  life, 
therefore  he  has  much  to  do  about  the  time  of  special  meetings. 

Evangelistic  work  is  thoroughly  spiritual.  It  must  have  the 
Spirit's  presence  and  activity.  The  Holy  Spirit  comes  in  answer 
to  prayer,  and  he  manifests  his  saving  power  when  the  hearts 
of  believers  are  ready  for  his  reception  and  co-operation  with 
him. 

The  suggestions  of  Pentecost  are  still  timely.  The  disciples  by 
the  command  of  our  Lord  waited  for  his  coming.  This  waiting 
for  God  has  been  blessed  in  all  ages.  The  early  disciples  waited 
in  one  accord,  in  fellowship,  in  prayer  and  supplication,  and  at 
last  he  came  with  demonstration  and  power.  The  beginning  of  a 
revival  and  of  periods  of  soul-saving  is  generally  with  those  whose 
hearts  the  Lord  has  touched.  It  may  be  at  a  communion  season 
some  soul  has  been  melted  at  the  vision  of  the  Lord's  love.  There 
is  a  yearning  to  serve  him  and  a  yearning  that  others  should  know 
his  saving  love.  This  person  meets  a  fellow  Christian,  whose  heart 
has  also  been  touched  by  the  same  Spirit  and  in  like  manner.  They 
talk  together,  they  pray  together.  Others  are  found,  for  the  Spirit 
is  moving  upon  the  hearts  of  his  people.  The  numbers  increase. 
Often  it  is  the  pastor  with  whom  this  yearning  begins.  He  finds 
some  member  of  like  mind.  It  spreads.  It  comes  into  the  prayer- 
meeting.  It  appears  in  the  Sabbath-school.  The  pulpit  grows 
warmer,  more  sympathetic  and  direct.  Sermon  after  sermon  deals 
with  sin,  with  Christ's  victory  over  sin,  with  salvation,  with  eternal 
pardon,  etc.  At  last  there  comes  a  general  yearning  and  stirring, 
and  the  overseers  of  the  church,  after  prayer  and  counsel,  are  per- 
suaded that  the  time  for  special  meetings,  for  repeated  preaching, 
has  come.  Rarely,  when  so  begun,  will  revival  fail  to  appear,  and 
with  the  revival  of  God's  people  rescue  work  is  manifest  in  souls 
saved. — The  Presbyterian. 

Fishers  of  Men 

To  fish  well  it  is  necessary  to  study  the  peculiarities  of  fish,  and 
you  must  go  to  the  fish.  One  must  know  fish  and  he  must  go  to 
the  fish.  What  a  book  can  tell  about  fishing  is  worth  knowing, 
but  it  is  little  that  a  book  can  do  toward  making  a  man  a  true 
fisherman.  "If  a  man  is  going  to  fish  for  fish,"  said  a  minister, 
who  was  a  good  fisherman,  "he  must  first  become  their  scholar 
before  he  becomes  their  master.  He  must  go  to  school  in  the  brook, 
to  learn  its  ways.  And  to  fish  for  men  he  must  learn  their  nature, 
their  prejudices,  their  tendencies,  and  their  courses.  A  man  to 
catch  fish  must  not  only  know  their  habits,  but  their  tastes  and 
their  resorts.  He  must  humor  them  according  to  their  different  na- 
tures, and  adapt  his  instruments  according  to  their  peculiarities, 


PASTORAL  EVANGELISM  269 

providing  a  spear  for  some,  a  hook  for  others,  a  net  for  others, 
and  baits  for  each  one,  as  each  one  will.  To  sit  on  a  bank  or  deck 
and  say  to  the  fishes,  'Here  am  I,  authorized  to  command  you 
to  come  to  me  and  to  bite  what  I  give  you,'  is  just  as  ridiculous 
as  it  can  be,  even  though  it  does  resemble  some  ways  of  preach- 
ing. The  Christian's  business  is  not  to  stand  in  an  appointed  place 
and  say  to  men,  'Here  am  I ;  come  up  and  take  what  I  give  you 
as  you  should.'  The  Christian's  business  is  to  find  out  what  men 
are,  and  to  take  them  by  that  which  they  will  bite  at." 

Not  all  the  truth  is  contained  in  these  words,  but  a  very  great  and 
important  element  of  truth  is  found  in  them. 

Mr.  Charles  H.  Spurgeon  once  summed  up  some  of  the  qualities 
a  true  fisherman  must  possess :  "A  fisherman  must  be  acquainted 
with  the  sea;  we  must  know  the  locality  in  which  we  have  to 
work.  A  fisherman  must  know  how  to  allure  fish.  A  fisherman 
must  be  a  man  who  can  wait  with  patience.  A  fisherman  is  one 
who  must  run  hazards.  The  fisherman  must  be  one  who  has 
learned  how  to  persevere  and  how  to  expect." 

Discussing  the  International  Sabbath  School  lesson  for  Feb.  6th, 
speaking  on  the  verse,  "Go  ye  therefore  into  the  highways,"  Mr. 
William  H.  Ridgeway  said  in  his  racy  but  true  fashion:  "I  was  at 
Yellowstone  Park  a  few  years  ago.  When  we  came  to  the  lake 
some  of  our  party  went  fishing.  In  less  than  an  hour  almost  every 
man  had  caught  as  many  salmon  trout  as  he  could  comfortably 
carry.  I  watched  one  man  pull  out  four  at  one  time,  using  four 
hooks  on  his  line.  Yes,  indeed,  that's  the  place  to  fish.  Because 
the  fish  are  there.  And  'out  unto  the  highways'  is  the  place  to  do 
religious  work.  Because  the  'fish'  are  there.  There  is  no  more 
fishing  here  in  the  Brandywine.  All  fished  out.  Now  and  then 
you  see  an  old  fellow  along  the  banks  with  hook  and  line,  but  he 
is  never  very  hilarious.  There  he  sits  like  a  'dead  one.'  Just  as 
you  see  them  in  that  church  at  Squedunk.  Yes,  and  in  some  Sab- 
bath schools.  When  you  meet  the  Trotters,  the  Wyburns,  the 
Noonans,  the  Craw  fords,  and  any  of  that  company  of  rescue  work- 
ers, and  the  Salvation  Army  bunch — all  highway  sportsmen — you 
will  find  them  full  of  enthusiasm  and  carrying  big  strings  of  fish, 
suckers,  eels,  catfish  and  what  not.  The  fellow  who  wants  the  most 
fun  in  religious  work  will  go  down-town  or  out  of  town  to  the 
mission  Sabbath  school  in  the  little  red  schoolhouse,  Griggsby's 
barn,  or  Murphy's  old  saloon.  Tramping  a  mountain  stream  is 
not  exactly  the  same  thing  as  a  rocking-chair  on  a  shady  porch, 
but  look  into  the  creek  once !  Yes,  a  fellow  is  tired  and  all  in  when 
he  gets  home  late  Sabbath  afternoon,  but  you  ought  to  see  him 
get  away  with  that  pie,  preferably  raisin.  And  he  goes  to  sleep 
at  night  without  rocking.  Yes,  the  highways  are  the  places  to 
fish."     (Matt.  4:19;  Jer.  16:16.) 


270  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

This  is  exactly  in  line  with  what  Mr.  D.  L.  Moody  once  said. 
Some  one  asked  him,  "Mr.  Moody,  what  is  the  way  to  reach  the 
masses  with  the  Gospel?"  "Go  for  them!"  was  the  quaint  and 
characteristic  answer.  It  expresses  the  life-principle  of  Mr.  Moody. 
It  ought  to  express  the  life-principle  of  far  greater  numbers  of 
Christians. 

In  all  soul-winning  work  we  must  remember  it  is  Christ  we  are 
to  exalt,  put  in  the  front,  and  not  ourselves.  Those  familiar  rules 
for  fishing  given  by  the  late  Mark  Guy  Pearse  are  rules  it  would  be 
well  for  us  to  keep  always  in  mind.  "I  watched  an  old  man  trout 
fishing  the  other  day,"  said  he,  "pulling  them  out  one  after  another 
briskly.  'You  manage  it  cleverly,  old  friend,'  I  said.  'I  have 
passed  a  good  many  below  who  don't  seem  to  be  doing  anything.' 
The  old  man  lifted  himself  up  and  stuck  his  rod  in  the  ground. 
'Well,  you  see,  sir,  there  be  three  rules  for  trout  fishing,  and  'tis 
no  good  trying  if  you  don't  mind  them.  The  first  is,  Keep  yourself 
out  of  sight ;  the  second  is,  Keep  yourself  farther  out  of  sight ;  and 
the  third  is,  Keep  yourself  farther  still  out  of  sight.  Then  you'll 
do  it.'     Good  for  catching  men,  too,  thought  I." 

Let  us  learn  to  fish.  Let  us  learn  of  Christ  how  to  become  fishers 
of  men.     Let  us  learn  to  know  fish  and  to  go  to  the  fish. — H. 

Revival  Preaching 

How  can  I  so  preach  the  gospel  that  God's  people  shall  be  quick- 
ened and  sinners  shall  be  saved?  This  is  the  grave  question  of 
the  day.  For  the  want  of  such  preaching  myriads  of  souls  are 
perishing.  It  is  found  in  certain  localities  that  the  number  of  per- 
sons awakened  and  led  to  Christ  through  the  efforts  of  the  pulpit 
is  sadly  small.  Tens  of  thousands  of  sermons  have  no  special 
adaptation  to  such  a  result.  An  occasional  sermon  of  the  right 
stamp  is  usually  unavailing. 

Why  some  pastors  have  few  revivals:  The  reason  of  such  failure 
in  the  case  of  some  pastors  was  very  evident.  Some  laid  their  fail- 
ure to  the  sovereignty  of  God.  Others  drifted  on,  waiting  for  God 
to  revive  them,  as  sinners  wait  for  God  to  convert  them.  They 
seemed  to  have  no  plan,  purpose,  nor  efficient  effort  for  revivals. 
Said  one  pastor:  "I  have  determined  to  draw  to  my  church  men 
of  intellect."  His  first  aim  was  to  have  a  leading  church.  His  in- 
tellectual efforts  did  not  result  in  religious  fervor.  A  thousand  con- 
centrated rays  of  the  moon  give  no  heat.  Another  pastor  was  an 
able  preacher,  but  he  was  positive  and  independent ;  he  stood  aloof 
from  the  living,  busy  world.  He  did  not  attract  the  people.  An- 
other pastor  interested  his  congregation,  but  he  was  deeply  absorbed 
in  newspaper,  periodical,  and  literary  works.  Another  pastor  was 
preaching  faithful  gospel   sermons  in  the  morning,  and  lecturing 


PASTORAL  EVANGELISM  271 

on  morality  on  Sabbath  evenings.  He  failed  to  follow  up  the  seri- 
ous impressions  of  the  morning.  Another  pastor  was  a  thought- 
ful preacher.  He  pleased  the  fastidious  hearer.  He  fed  the  sheep 
to  repletion;  but  he  rarely  addressed  a  word  of  alarm  to  the  un- 
godly, or  even  prayed  for  them.  He  seemed  to  forget  the  children 
and  the  stranger.  The  weekly  lecture  took  the  place  of  the  prayer- 
meeting.  The  spiritual  work  of  the  church  was  left  mostly  to  his 
assistant  and  the  choir.  Another  pastor  was  good-natured  and  in- 
dolent. He  was  fond  of  lounging  and  talking.  These  pastors  were 
men  of  ability.  They  occupied  most  responsible  positions.  An- 
other pastor,  less  distinguished,  studied  and  wrote  and  meant  well. 
He  had  a  good  congregation,  but  he  lacked  practical  skill.  He 
utterly  failed  to  bring  the  truth  home  to  the  heart  and  conscience 
of  his  hearers.  Another  pastor  was  doubting  and  irresolute.  His 
motto  was :  "It  is  better  to  do  nothing  than  to  venture  upon  an  effort 
and  fail."  To  his  vision,  the  children  of  Anak  were  so  tall  and  the 
obstacles  were  so  mighty  that,  like  Israel  of  old,  he  chose  to  wander 
in  the  wilderness.  But  cowardice  and  incapacity  in  the  leader  of 
the  Lord's  host  is  worse  than  timidity  in  the  general  of  an  army. 
Courage  is  indispensable.  Another  pastor  was  fond  of  technicali- 
ties, abstractions,  and  polish.  He  failed  to  proclaim  the  pointed 
and  powerful  truths  of  the  gospel.  Another  pastor  was  averse  to 
excitement.  He  believed  in  the  quiet  private  way,  and  his  people 
were  just  as  quiet  as  he  was.  Another  was  a  popular  and  conscien- 
tious young  pastor  who  mourned  his  supposed  inability  to  move 
his  people.  I  would  not  depreciate  the  good  accomplished  by  these 
pastors,  but  I  would  to  God  that  their  preaching  might  rise  to  the 
grand  emergency  of  rescuing  souls.  The  preaching  like  that  of 
Peter  and  Paul,  must  be  adapted  to  this  end.  "It  pleased  God  by 
the  foolishness  of  preaching  to  save  them  that  believe"  (1  Cor. 
1:21).  The  word  of  God  is  quick  and  powerful  (Heb.  4:12). 
"Is  not  my  word  like  as  a  fire,  saith  the  Lord,  and  like  as  a  ham- 
mer that  breaketh  the  rock  in  pieces?"  (Jer.  13:29). 

This  is  the  preaching  that  reaches  the  hardened  sinner.  How 
utterly  do  some  preachers  fail  in  this  style  of  address.  "Paul  and 
Barnabas  so  spake  that  great  multitudes  believed"  (Acts  14:1). 
It  was  truth,  emotion,  and  manner  adapted  to  this  one  end. 

In  revival  preaching  the  speaker  must  be  very  nigh  to  the  Saviour ; 
he  must  be  a  humble  man,  full  of  faith  and  the  Holy  Ghost;  he 
must  have  a  personal  experience  of  the  truth  which  he  preaches ; 
he  must  be  much  in  prayer  and  thoroughly  in  earnest;  he  must 
say,  "God  helping  me,  this  one  thing  I  do."  Thus  prepared  he 
must  reach  and  move  the  Church  of  Christ.  In  a  revival  of  re- 
ligion the  soldiers  of  the  cross  strive  to  rescue  prisoners  from  the 
enemy.  It  is  a  conflict  with  Satan  for  souls ;  it  is  a  weighty,  ardu- 
ous business.     The  state  of  feeling  must  be  watched,  and  one  truth 


272  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

after  another  must  be  presented  that  is  exactly  adapted  to  rescue 
the  largest  number  of  souls. — H. 


Pastor's  Communion  Class 

The  outline  may  be  used  in  nine  lessons,  or  combined  for  a  shorter 
series.     No  class  should  be  held  for  more  than  forty  or  fifty  minutes. 

/.    The  Bible 

The  Bible  is  God's  message  to  us.  In  it  he  tells  us  about  him- 
self and  how  he  dealt  with  different  persons,  and  how  he  will  deal 
with  us.  He  tells  us  important  things  that  we  may  know  are  true, 
and  how  we  ought  to  live.  The  Bible  tells  us  most  of  all  how 
we  may  be  saved  from  sin  and  its  consequences  to  true  and  holy 
living  with  all  its  blessings,  and  about  Jesus  who  came  to  earth 
to  bring  us  this  salvation.  The  Bible  has  many  precious  promises 
and  wise  warnings  and  much  good  instruction  and  is  in  every  way 
well  fitted  to  help  us  to  be  true  and  noble.  We  should  give  it 
careful  attention,  "receive  it  with  faith  and  love,  lay  it  up  in  our 
hearts  and  practice  it  in  our  lives." 

1.  What  is  the  Bible? 

2.  What  does  God  tell  us  in  it? 

3.  What  is  its  most  important  message? 

4.  Describe  its  contents. 

5.  How  should  we  use  it? 

6.  Where  do  we  find  the  Ten  Commandments  ?   Exodus  20 :  3-17. 

7.  The  Beatitudes?    Matthew  5  :  3-12. 

8.  The  Lord's  Prayer?    Matthew  6:9-13. 

9.  How  many  books  in  the  Bible?    In  Old  Testament  39;  in 
New  Testament  27. 

10.    How  did  God  send  his  Word  to  us?    2  Peter  1 :  21.    2  Tim- 
othy 3 :  16. 

//.    God 

God  is  "a  spirit  and  the  Father  of  our  spirits."  He  is  the  creator, 
keeper  and  governor  of  all  things.  He  is  perfectly  good,  holy,  wise 
and  powerful,  loving  and  merciful,  just  and  true.  We  speak  of 
God  as  the  Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  these  three 
persons  agree  and  unite  in  one  God.  God  loves  each  one  of  us 
and  cares  for  us,  and  wishes  and  requires  us  to  love  and  obey 
him. 

1.  What  is  God? 

2.  Name  some  qualities  of  God? 

3.  How  do  we  speak  of  God? 


PASTORAL  EVANGELISM  273 

4.  How  does  God  feel  toward  us? 

5.  How  should  we  feel  and  act  toward  God? 

6.  How  can  you  show  your  love  for  God? 

///.    Sin  and  Temptation 

Sin  is  everywhere  contrary  to  God's  will,  whether  active  wrong 
or  failure  to  do  right.  One  of  the  greatest  sins  is  failure  to 
believe  in  Christ.  God's  Word,  conscience  and  older  Christian 
friends  tell  us  what  is  sinful.  Doubt  whether  a  thing  is  right  is 
God's  warning  against  it.  Sin  is  so  bad  because  it  is  an  offence 
against  God  to  whom  we  owe  such  love  and  gratitude.  Every 
sin  grieves  God  and  deserves  his  wrath  and  punishment.  God 
punishes  sin  because  he  loves  us  and  wants  to  keep  us  from  going 
wrong.  Sinful  acts  come  from  a  wicked  heart.  There  is  no  one 
free  from  sin.  Sin  dwarfs  and  destroys  the  soul.  It  separates 
from  God  and  thus  produces  spiritual  death.  There  are  no  rewards 
which  come  from  a  life  of  sin.  Sin  is  always  injurious.  It 
may  look  attractive,  but  its  end  is  very  bitter.  When  guilty  of  sin 
we  can  find  forgiveness  through  Jesus  Christ. 

A  temptation  is  anything  that  makes  one  want  to  do  wrong. 
Temptations  come  from  our  own  evil  desires  as  well  as  from  with- 
out. By  yielding  to  them  we  fall  into  sin  and  are  brought  into 
bondage  to  evil  habits,  but  in  overcoming  them  we  grow  strong. 
We  should  be  on  our  guard  against  them  and  when  they  arise  pray 
for  God's  help.  He  will  make  a  way  of  escape  or  give  strength 
to  stand  the  test. 

1.  What  is  sin?  James  4: 17. 

2.  How  do  we  know  what  is  sinful? 

3.  What  does  sin  deserve?    Why? 

4.  What  is  the  result  of  sin  ?  James  1 :  15.     Romans  6 :  23. 

5.  What  is  temptation?  Jiunes  1 :  14,  15. 

6.  From  whence  do  our  temptations  come? 

7.  What  is  the  result  of  temptation  in  our  lives? 

8.  How  should  we  meet  temptation? 

9.  What  is  the  best  way  of  overcoming  temptation?  Romans 
12:21 

10.  Why  is  love  for  God  such  a  great  help? 

11.  Was  Christ  tempted?  Hebrews  4: 15c 

12.  Did  Christ  sin? 

13.  What  is  the  reward  of  overcoming  temptation  ?  James  1 :  12. 

IV.    Jesus  Christ  and  Salvation 

Jesus  Christ  was  from  the  beginning  the  Son  of  God  in  heaven. 
^When  he  was  born  in  Bethlehem  he  became  a  human  being  also, 


274  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

and  is  now  both  God  and  man.  He  came  to  earth  to  seek  and 
to  save  the  lost.  He  taught  the  true  way  to  live,  healed  the  sick,  did 
other  kind  and  wonderful  deeds,  and  called  people  to  believe  in 
him  and  follow  him.  Though  sorely  tempted,  he  never  sinned. 
But  he  took  our  sins  upon  him  and  died  on  the  cross  to  save  us 
from  them.  He  rose  from  the  grave  and  went  back  to  heaven, 
where  he  is  now  praying  for  us  and  preparing  a  place  for  us. 
If  we  are  sorry  for  our  sins,  and  purpose  to  please  Jesus,  he  will 
forgive  our  sins  when  we  ask  him  in  faith.  We  must  also  forgive 
others  if  we  would  be  forgiven.  When  our  sins  are  forgiven 
God  feels  towards  us  and  treats  ur  as  if  we  had  not  sinned.  Jesus 
helps  us  to  overcome  temptation  and  his  love  in  the  heart  leads  us 
to  live  a  true  and  useful  life.  If  we  do  not  look  to  him  for  help 
we  will  surely  fall.  We  cannot  work  our  way  up  into  character 
alone.  Thousands  have  tried  it  and  failed.  Jesus  loves  us  and  if 
we  love  and  trust  and  obey  him  he  gives  us  eternal  life.  They  alone 
cannot  be  saved  who  will  not  come  to  him  for  forgiveness  and  help. 

1.  Who  is  Jesus  Christ?  John  20:31. 

2.  Why  did  he  come  to  earth?  John  3: 16.     1  Timothy  1 :  15. 

3.  Why  was  he  called  "Jesus?"  Matthew  1:21. 

4.  What  did  he  do  for  us  here?  1  Peter  2:24, 

5.  What  does  he  do  for  us  now  ?  Hebrews  7 :  25. 

6.  What  must  we  do  to  be  forgiven  ?  1  John  1 : 9. 

7.  How  does  Christ  help  us  to  live  right? 

8.  Why  should  we  love  Christ  ?  1  John  4 :  19. 

9.  How  much  should  we  love  him? 

10.  What  will  love  for  Christ  lead  us  to  be  and  do£ 

11.  Why  do  any  people  fail  to  love  Christ? 

V.    The  {Holy  Spirit 

The  Holy  Spirit  comes  to  us  first  when  we  are  sinners  and  makes 
us  feel  how  bad  our  sin  is,  and  prompts  us  to  accept  Christ  as 
our  Saviour  and  confess  him  as  our  Lord.  By  heeding  this  prompt- 
ing we  begin  the  Christian  life  and  God  gives  us  a  new  heart, 
so  that  we  love  and  trust  Christ  and  love  what  is  right  instead  of 
what  is  wrong.  To  be  a  Christian  is  to  accept  Christ  as  Saviour 
and  Lord,  to  be  a  follower  of  Christ,  and  to  strive  in  all  things 
to  obey  him.  In  becoming  Christians  we  must  give  up  what  is 
wrong,  but  nothing  that  is  good  and  right.  The  Christian  life  is 
the  happiest  life  there  is,  and  we  cannot  begin  it  too  soon.  Some 
signs  of  the  Christian  life  in  the  soul  are  sorrow  for  sin,  belief 
in  Christ,  love  for  God,  love  for  God's  people,  and  a  desire  to 
serve  God.  When  we  become  Christians  the  Holy  Spirit  comes 
and  lives  in  our  hearts  to  prompt  and  help  us  in  studying  the  Bible 
and  praying  and  working  for  Christ.     In  this  way  we  grow  in  the 


PASTORAL  EVANGELISM  275 

Christian  life.  The  Christian  life  crowds  out  the  sinful  life.  If 
we  give  up  our  lives  completely  to  the  Spirit's  control  he  will  fill 
us  with  himself,  and  give  us  joy  and  comfort,  purity,  power  and 
victory  over  sin.  Do  not  resist,  grieve  or  quench  the  Holy  Spirit. 
It  should  be  our  constant  endeavor  to  come  nearer  to  the  perfect 
character  of  Christ. 

1.  Who  is  the  Holy  Spirit?  1  John  5:7.    John  14:26.    John 
15 :  26. 

2.  What  does  the  Holy  Spirit  do  for  the  sinner?  John  16:  8-11. 

3.  How  do  we  become  Christians?    Acts  16:30,  31.     Romans 
12:1. 

4.  What  must  I  give  up  in  becoming  a  Christian  ? 

5.  What  do  I  gain?  1  Timothy  4:8. 

6.  When  should  one  become  a  Christian?  2  Corinthians  6:2. 

7.  What  is  it  to  lead  a  Christian  life?  Luke  9:25. 

8.  What  does  the  Holy  Spirit  do  for  the  Christian?  John  14: 17. 

9.  How  do  we  grow  in  the  Christian  life?  Psalm  119:11.     1 
Thessalonians  5:17.     James  2:14. 

10.  Does  the  Holy  Spirit  love  you?  Romans  15:30, 

11.  Do  you  think  of  and  love  the  Holy  Spirit? 

12.  How  can  one  resist  or  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit? 

13.  How  can  one  best  invite  the  Holy  Spirit  into  his  heart? 

14.  How  best  cause  him  to  remain  with  us? 

15.  What  blessings  do  we  enjoy  from  his  presence  within  us? 

VI.    Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper 

Jesus  has  appointed  two  special  customs  or  holy  observances  for 
his  followers,  called  sacraments.  They  are  baptism  and  the  Lord's 
Supper.  In  them  things  we  can  see  are  used  to  represent  Christ 
and  the  blessings  he  bestows.  They  are  also  a  covenant  he  makes 
with  us  and  a  means  he  uses  to  bring  us  his  blessings. 

In  baptism  water  is  used  to  represent  an  inward  cleansing.  It 
is  a  sign  of  our  forsaking  sin  and  beginning  a  new  life  of  holiness 
by  the  Spirit.  It  is  an  expression  of  faith  in  Christ  and  a  pledge 
of  our  being  given  to  him  and  of  his  abiding  with  us  and  saving  us. 

The  Lord's  Supper  is  eaten  in  remembrance  of  him.  It  represents 
his  sacrifice  for  us  and  the  shedding  of  his  blood  to  take  away  our 
sins.  It  is  a  renewal  of  the  baptismal  covenant  and  a  means  used 
to  strengthen  us  in  fidelity  and  love.  It  is  a  real  and  important 
help  in  the  Christian  life.  Jesus  wishes  and  commands  all  who 
believe  in  him  to  be  baptized  and  gather  at  his  table. 

1.  What  is  a  sacrament? 

2.  How  many  sacraments  are  there? 

3.  Name  them. 

4.  What  is  the  meaning  of  baptism  ? 


276  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

5.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  Lord's  Supper?  1  Corinthians 
11:23-26. 

6.  Who  should  observe  the  sacraments? 

7.  Why  are  we  baptized  but  once? 

8.  Why  do  we  observe  the  Lord's  Supper  often? 

9.  What  should  be  our  thoughts  when  at  the  Lord's  Supper? 

10.  Of  whom  should  we  think  most? 

11.  How  should  we  feel  toward  him?  1  John  4:  19. 

12.  How  does  this  coming  to  the  Lord's  Supper  help  and  bless  us? 

13.  How  does  coming  to  the  Lord's  Supper  bring  us  strength? 

14.  How  does  coming  to  the  Lord's  Supper  bring  us  joy? 

VII.    Confessing  Christ  and  Joining  the  Church 

Jesus  wishes  all  his  followers  to  be  loyal  to  him  by  confessing 
him  before  men  as  their  Saviour  and  Lord.  All  such  he  owns 
in  heaven.  An  open  confession  is  a  means  of  strengthening  our 
faith  and  securing  our  salvation.  We  should  confess  Christ  by 
our  lives  as  well  as  by  our  words.  One  of  the  clearest  ways  of 
confessing  him  is  by  joining  the  Church,  which  is  recognized  as 
the  company  of  Christ's  followers.  Its  work  is  to  worship  God, 
save  the  lost,  strengthen  Christians  and  help  the  needy.  We  can 
best  serve  Christ  by  joining  in  his  Church  with  other  Christians 
in  this  work.  As  Christians  we  need  the  help  of  the  duties  and 
fellowship  of  church  membership  for  our  own  lives.  When  we 
join  the  Church  we  are  baptized  and  receive  the  Lord's  Supper. 
In  these  observances  we  publicly  profess  our  faith  in  Christ.  If 
our  parents  have  expressed  their  faith  for  us  by  having  us  bap- 
tized in  infancy,  when  we  join  the  Church  we  make  for  ourselves 
the  baptismal  confession  and  pledge,  and  their  faith  is  fulfilled  in 
ours. 

Unless  we  join  the  Church  we  remain  outside  the  one  organiza- 
tion Jesus  himself  established  to  develop,  extend  and  express  Chris- 
tianity. 

1.  Why  should  every  Christian  confess  Christ?     Romans  10:9, 
10. 

2.  How  should  we  confess  him?  Acts  2:41,  42.    2  Corinthians 
6:17. 

3.  What  is  the  Church  ?  1  Corinthians  1 : 2. 

4.  What  is  its  work?  Ephesians  4:  11-16.     Matthew  28: 19. 

5.  Why  should  we  join  it?    Luke  12:8.     Romans  14:19.    He- 
brews 10 :  24,  25. 

6.  Show  how  church  membership  is  the  clearest  confession  of 
Christ. 

7.  What  is  the  relation  between  infant  baptism  and  joining  the 
Church? 


PASTORAL  EVANGELISM  277 

8.  What  is  true  of  us  if  we  do  not  join  the  Church?    Matthew 
12:30. 

9.  How  does  joining  the  Church  help  us  in  the  Christian  life? 

10.  How  does  our  joining  the  Church  help  to  make  other  Chris- 
tians ? 

11.  Does  Christ  love  the  Church? 

12.  In  what  ways  can  we  show  love  for  it  ? 

VIII.   Prayer  and  the  Daily  Life 

God  wishes  us  to  talk  with  him,  and  this  is  prayer.  In  prayer 
we  should  thank  God  for  his  benefits,  praise  him  for  his  excellence, 
confess  our  faults  and  ask  him  to  forgive  them  and  help  us  to  be 
better.  We  may  ask  for  anything  we  desire  and  if  he  sees  that  it 
is  best  he  will  give  it.  If  we  pray  in  faith  and  sincerity,  with  a 
heart  surrendered  to  God,  results  will  come.  We  should  have 
regular  times  to  pray,  but  should  pray  whenever  there  is  special 
need.  We  should  expect  God  to  answer  our  prayers,  and  listen 
and  watch  for  the  answer.    The  Lord's  prayer  is  a  good  model. 

The  Bible  is  God's  message  to  us.  We  should  study  it  daily, 
looking  for  things  that  apply  to  ourselves.  We  should  remember 
it,  meditate  on  it,  believe  it,  heed  it. 

We  should  use  the  Sabbath  so  as  to  honor  God  and  help  us  most 
in  our  Christian  life,  laying  aside  work,  sports  and  visiting;  but 
making  it  the  brightest  and  best  day  of  the  week.  "Keep  your 
Sundays  for  the  great  things  of  the  soul." 

We  should  ;;uard  against  temptation  and  have  good  companions. 
Those  who  lead  one  to  disregard  sacred  things  are  dangerous. 
Humility,  patience,  forgiveness,  unselfishness,  diligence,  courage, 
self-control,  should  be  cultivated.  Each  day  should  be  better  than 
the  last,  and  some  one  happier  and  better  for  our  living  in  it. 

1.  What  is  prayer? 

2.  How  can  we  get  the  most  benefit  from  it? 

3.  How  should  we  study  the  Bible  ? 

4.  How  should  we  use  the  Sabbath? 

5.  Speak  of  other  things  that  should  mark  the  Christian's  daily 
life. 

IX.    Christian  Service 

The  true  Christian  wishes  to  do  all  the  good  he  can.  In  this 
Jesus  is  the  great  example.  We  can  do  Christian  service  by  doing 
our  work  faithfully,  showing  a  Christian  spirit  at  home  and  with 
associates,  visiting  the  sick  and  strangers,  helping  the  needy,  en- 
couraging people  to  do  well,  being  good  citizens,  and  by  our  prayers. 
There  are  many  who  need  help  besides  the  poor,  and  better  ways 


278  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

of  helping  than  giving  money.  The  Church,  which  includes  such 
organizations  as  the  Sunday  School  and  Endeavor  Society,  is  the 
great  organization  for  Christian  service.  We  should  help  all  we 
can  in  its  work,  attending  and  taking  part  in  its  services,  bringing 
and  welcoming  others,  and  doing  the  definite  work  assigned  to  us. 
We  should  give  cheerfully  of  our  means  as  God  has  prospered  us. 
The  Old  Testament  teaches  the  duty  of  giving  one-tenth  to  the 
Lord.  The  New  Testament  nowhere  clearly  teaches  that  this  is 
no  longer  our  duty.  Those  who  follow  this  rule  God  richly  blesses 
as  he  has  promised.  The  greatest  and  most  delightful  service  is 
to  win  some  one  for  Christ.  Jesus  has  commanded  his  followers  to 
"go  and  make  disciples  of  all  nations."  Some  can  go  to  heathen 
lands  with  the  story  of  salvation,  and  the  rest  can  help  them 
go  while  they  themselves  are  missionaries  to  those  around  them. 
Faithful  service  for  Christ  brings  a  sure  reward. 

1.  Why  should  we  do  Christian  service?  Matthew  20:28. 

2.  How  can  we  do  good  in  our  daily  life?  Acts  20:35. 

3.  Why  and  how  should  we  work  in  the  Church? 

4.  What  is  our  duty  in  giving  ?  Proverbs  3 : 9. 

5.  Is  it  possible  for  us  to  help  others  to  become  Christians? 
Acts  1 : 8. 

6.  How  can  we  do  this  ?  ' 

7.  Why  should  we  do  it?  Daniel  12:3. 

8.  Is  it  right  for  us  to  leave  the  heathen  without  true  knowledge 
of  God? 

9.  How  can  we  give  them  the  Gospel  ?  Matthew  28 :  19,  20, 

10.  Will  Christ  accept  the  service  of  every  Christian? 

11.  What  rewards  for  service  will  he  give?  Matthew  10:42. 
Matthew  25 :  37-40.  Revelation  2 :  10.— Adapted  and  used  by 
H. 

After  the  Revival 

"After  the  revival"  is  a  time  of  special  responsibility,  and  also 
of  special  opportunity.  Opportunity  means  not  in  the  harbor,  but 
just  opposite  the  port — the  place  where  entrance  is  easily  obtain- 
able. Chances  for  usefulness  confront  us  on  every  hand — unusual 
chances,  containing  possibilities  of  success.  But  not  one  of  these 
chances  is  anything  more  than  a  place  opposite  some  port  which 
must  be  entered  by  our  own  efforts  if  we  would  realize  the  good 
our  bright  outlook  holds  in  store. 

Even  as  concerning  the  new  members  received,  or  soon  to  be 
received,  let  us  remember  that  our  duty  toward  them  has  only  just 
begun,  and  that  their  Christian  characters  will  become  largely  what 
our  churches  make  them. 

Do  we  realize  that  all  of  these  who  have  come  into  our  churches 


PASTORAL  EVANGELISM  279 

are  just  Hopeful  cases?  They  have  started,  but  we  are  to  see  that 
they  do  not  turn  back.  They  are  souls  we  are  to  help,  and  guide, 
and  teach,  and  lead. 

It  has  often  been  said  that  new  members  uniting  with  the  Church 
assume  grave  responsibilities.  True,  they  do ;  but  their  responsibili- 
ties are  no  greater  than  those  laid  upon  the  Church.  If  anything, 
the  greater  weight  of  responsibility  rests  upon  the  older  members  of 
the  Church  who  receive  them  into  their  midst.  Much  is  going 
to  depend  in  all  our  churches  upon  how  we  do  our  duty  toward  the 
new  members  admitted. 

Among  our  duties,  one  is  this — to  receive  them  with  Christian 
love,  and  not  with  the  cold  formality  of  a  business  transaction. 

Scientific  men  tell  us  that  if  the  chrysalis  of  a  butterfly  is  placed 
in  an  ice  house  its  development  into  the  perfect  insect  may  be  re- 
tarded for  months,  but  place  it  in  a  hothouse,  and  it  flutters  a 
thing  of  beauty  in  a  few  days.  The  same  principle  holds  good  as 
to  the  new  members  in  our  churches.  We  heard  a  minister  at  a 
Christian  Endeavor  convention  say  not  long  ago  that  he  often 
wondered  why  some  naughty  college  boys  did  not  steal  the  sign, 
"Cold  Storage,"  off  some  "of  the  great  city  warehouses  where  ducks, 
and  geese,  and  rounds  of  beef,  and  cabbage  heads,  etc.,  are  stored, 
and  nail  it  up  as  an  appropriate  sign  over  certain  churches  he 
knew.     He  thought  it  would  not  prove  a  misfit. 

God  forbid  that  we  should  give  our  new  converts  nothing  but 
church  storage — cold  storage  at  that!  God  forbid  that  we  should 
let  them  get  into  spiritual  ice  houses,  where  the  frigid  atmosphere 
will  only  chill  their  hearts  and  retard  their  growth.  Let  us  see  that 
we  open  wide  our  affections,  and  receive  every  one  of  them  to  a 
cheerful  Christian  fireside,  a  warm  church  home,  a  place  of  sym- 
pathy, and  helpfulness,  and  love. 

Again,  it  is  our  duty  to  receive  them  with  hopeful  confidence, 
and  not  with  dubious  suspicion  of  their  future.  Already  we  have 
heard  questionings  as  to  how  long  or  how  many  of  our  converts  will 
hold  out.  Well,  that,  too,  is  going  to  depend  largely  upon  us.  They 
will  hold  out  if  we  hold  on.  There  is  no  question  at  all  about  the 
most  of  them  holding  out  if  we  will  each  begin  to  do  like  Interpreter 
in  the  House  Beautiful,  and  edify,  and  exhort,  and  comfort,  and 
help  these  pilgrims.  They  are  all  beginners  in  the  Christian  life; 
they  are  "babes  in  Christ;"  they  are  "lambs  of  the  flock;"  and 
they  are  to  be  nurtured  and  cared  for  accordingly.  Remember  that 
we  are  to  feed,  not  beat,  the  lambs. 

Furthermore,  and  just  as  important  as  either  of  these  things  we 
have  mentioned,  is  it  that  we  should  enlist  them  actively  in  Chris- 
tian work.  This,  too,  should  be  done  right  at  the  beginning.  A 
speaker  at  a  recent  convention  of  young  people  told  the  story 
of  a  little  boy  who  fell  out  of  bed,  and  when  asked  why,  explained 


280  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

by  saying,  "I  presume  I  went  to  sleep  too  near  where  I  got  in." 
Well,  a  good  many  people  fall  out  of  church  for  the  same  reason — 
they  go  to  sleep  too  near  where  they  got  in.  Probably,  under  un- 
favorable surrounding  conditions,  there  is  no  time  when  people  go 
to  sleep  quite  so  easily  as  immediately  after  they  unite  with  the 
church.  Having  accomplished  what  may  have  seemed  to  them  a 
very  difficult  duty,  the  tendency  is  to  take  a  good  long  breath, 
and — go  to  sleep.  Yet  it  is  also  true  that  there  is  no  time  in  their 
history  when  they  can  so  readily  be  kept  awake  and  set  to  work. 
Now,  it  is  our  bounden  duty  to  help  these  new  members  further  in. 
We  must  keep  them  awake,  and  enlist  them  heartily  and  actively 
in  all  kinds  of  Christian  effort.  This  will  prove  best  not  only  for 
the  work,  but  for  the  workers,  too ;  for  let  us  remember  that  there 
is  nothing  like  exercise  to  keep  people  warm  and  well.  Why,  even 
a  horse,  if  shut  up  in  a  stall,  unused,  will  become  loggy  and  dull, 
and  eventually  will  die.  So  is  it  with  Christians,  and  especially 
with  beginners.  They  need  exercise.  As  far  as  that  is  concerned, 
none  of  us  are  ever  more  truly  alive  than  when  we  are  busily 
engaged  in  Christian  service,  doing  what  we  can  "in  his  name" 
and  '"'for  his  sake." 

Keeping  these  things  in  mind,  and  acting  upon  them,  we  will  find 
that,  instead  of  a  reaction,  the  most  prosperous,  active,  and  useful 
period  in  the  life  of  our  churches  may  be  that  season  known  in 
common  language  as   "after  the  revival." — H. 


IX 

VOCATIONAL  EVANGELISM 

Real  Value  of  an  Evangelist 

We  do  not  believe  that  evangelists  are  to  take  the  place  of  reg- 
ular, faithful  ministers,  but  there  are  times  when  an  evangelist, 
specially  trained  in  the  art  of  persuading  people  to  decide,  may 
build  upon  a  pastor's  good  work  and  bring  many  into  the  king- 
dom. The  following  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman  illus- 
trates this  fact: 

I  remember  being  invited- to  a  community  where  a  pastor  had  been 
in  charge  of  the  church  for  forty-five  years.  When  I  appeared  in 
his  pulpit  on  Sunday  morning  he  made  an  introductory  speech 
something  like  this :  "My  friends,  I  have  invited  this  minister  here 
in  order  that  he  may  preach  to  you.  He  will  have  no  new  message, 
but  he  may  have  some  methods  different  from  mine.  The  most 
of  you  have  grown  up  under  my  pastorate.  I  baptized  you  as 
children,  and  I  have  baptized  your  own  children,  and  since  coming 
into  the  pulpit  this  morning  I  have  counted  forty-three  heads  of 
families  who  are  not  professed  followers  of  Christ.  And,  oh,  my 
friends,"  he  said,  "I  beseech  you  to  listen  to  this  message  from 
other  lips  and  yield  yourselves  to  Christ."  He  spoke  with  much 
emotion,  and  with  such  an  introduction  I  began  my  work.  All  of 
the  forty-three  came  to  Christ  and  united  with  the  church.  I  was 
simply  building  upon  his  invitation.  I  was  reaping  where  he  had 
sown,  and  the  success  God  gave  me  was  a  tribute  to  his  faithful- 
ness. 

The  Vocational  Evangelist 

The  Church  has  always  recognized  that  its  Divine  Founder  "gave 
some  pastors  and  teachers."  Why  has  it  been  so  slow  to  recognize 
the  other  fact  that  "he  gave  some  evangelists"  ?  Professional  evan- 
gelism— professional  in  the  good  sense  of  the  term — or  better,  voca- 
tional evangelism,  has  been  slow  coming  to  recognition  in  the 
Church.  There  is  every  call  for  pastoral  evangelism;  but  that 
does  not  contradict  the  call  to  vocational  evangelism. 

A  leading  American  pastor  has  well  said :  "It  is  time  that  we 
stopped  sneering  at  the  'professional'  evangelist.  It  is  a  right 
use  of  words,  but  a  wrong  use  of  emphasis.  The  evangelist  is 
professional  in  the  same  sense  that  a  minister,  a  physician,  or  a 

281 


a82  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

carpenter  is  professional,  and  only  so.  When  we  want  a  piazza 
built,  we  employ  a  professional  carpenter,  not  a  wood  butcher. 
When  we  want  our  appendix  removed,  we  call  upon  a  professional 
surgeon.  When  we  see  the  necessity  of  arousing  churches  and 
communities  from  lethargy,  we  turn  to  an  evangelist." 

The  person  we  quote  spoke  of  the  lethargy  of  respectability.  We 
would  add  that  there  are  other  kinds  of  lethargy  besides  that. 
There  is  the  lethargy  of  indifference,  the  lethargy  of  an  even  tenor 
of  the  way,  the  lethargy  of  spiritual  indolence,  the  lethargy  of  pre- 
occupation, the  lethargy  of  sinful  indulgence.  Even  good  people 
sometimes  fall  into  the  lethargy  of  a  love  for  things  as  they  are,  and 
need  to  be  jarred  out  of  their  accustomed  content.  At  such  a  time 
there  is  need  for  a  vocational  evangelist. 

Just  what  is  a  vocational  evangelist?  In  the  New  Testament 
sense  an  evangelist  is  a  "herald  of  glad  tidings."  The  word  trans- 
lated "evangelist"  is  from  the  same  root  as  the  word  translated 
"Gospel,"  and  to  evangelize  is  to  "preach  the  Word."  In  the 
Epistle  to  the  Ephesians  evangelists  are  enumerated  side  by  side 
with  the  apostles,  prophets,  pastors,  and  teachers.  This  gives  no 
implication  that  only  evangelists  could  or  should  evangelize.  All 
who  knew  the  Gospel  had  a  right  to  do  that.  Timothy  was  ex- 
horted to  "do  the  work  of  an  evangelist."  Philip,  one  of  the  seven 
deacons  at  Jerusalem,  is  called  an  evangelist.  But  evangelists  were 
regarded  as  itinerants,  traveling  from  place  to  place.  This  was  the 
case  with  Philip,  who  preached  in  Samaria,  expounded  the  Word 
to  the  eunuch  on  his  way  to  Gaza,  and  then  labored  in  Csesarea 
and  the  cities  round  about.  Evangelists  no  doubt  often  acted  in- 
dependently, but  more  largely  as  "fellow  laborers"  with  and  assist- 
ants to  the  apostles. 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  a  vocational  evangelist,  and  vocational 
evangelists  are  coming  into  more  general  recognition.  At  no  time 
has  vocational  evangelism  played  such  an  important  part  in  modern 
church  life  as  it  has  within  the  last  four  or  five  years.  It  is  a  factor 
that  no  careful  observer  can  fail  to  take  into  account.  Evidence 
is  irrefutable  that  whole  communities  are  lifted  up  to  higher  ideals 
of  right  living  and  that  multitudes  are  won  to  Christ. 

The  cause  of  temperance,  also,  has  had  no  more  powerful  adjunct 
than  the  tabernacle  and  other  meetings  of  evangelists. 

Sometimes  objections  are  made  to  evangelists  that  they  use  high- 
pressure  methods.  They  do  use  such  methods.  And  there  are 
obvious  limitations  to  high-pressure  methods.  But  so  are  there  also 
to  low-pressure  methods.  But  these  objections  are  nothing  com- 
pared to  those  that  should  be  made  against  no-pressure  methods. 
Almost  anything  is  better  than  indifference.  An  old  pilot  once  said : 
"You  can  not  steer  a  boat  while  it  is  lying  still."  In  movement 
there  is  life,  and  there  is  possibility.     Stagnation  itself  is  death. 


VOCATIONAL  EVANGELISM  283 

"And  he  gave  some,  evangelists."  Vocational  evangelism  de- 
serves to  have  recognition.  It  should  be  given  its  rightful  place  not 
only  as  a  New  Testament  order  of  the  ministry,  but  as  a  very 
vital  factor  in  our  twentieth-century  church  life.  The  right  kind 
of   vocational   evangelism  will   have   many   healthful   results. 

We  believe  in  revivals  of  religion.  We  believe  in  special  efforts  to 
promote  them.  And  we  believe  that  such  efforts  are  both  rational 
and  scriptural.  We  are  not  afraid  even  of  the  expression,  "getting 
up  a  revival."  Why  should  we  be?  Though  we  might  prefer  the 
expression,  "bringing  down  a  revival."  But  we  are  not  afraid  of 
revivals. 

Are  men  afraid  of  special  efforts  when  they  want  to  promote 
other  interests,  educational,  financial,  patriotic?  Who  calls  a  man 
a  fanatic  if  he  pleads  for  the  cleaning  up  of  his  village,  or  town, 
or  for  public  improvements,  or  for  better  schools?  Who  does  not 
know  that  to  arouse  the  public  attention,  or  to  reach  the  individual 
in  any  good,  often  requires  the  most  persistent,  prolonged  and  ear- 
nest agitation?  Why  should  we  be  so  slow  to  see  that  the  history 
of  the  race  shows  that  the  majority  of  men  never  see  their  high- 
est good  without  powerful  appeals  to  them  on  the  part  of  others? 
The  whole  trend  of  Scripture  is  in  favor  of  revivals  of  religion. 
The  whole  history  of  the  Church  is  in  favor  of  revivals  of  religion. 
The  Christian  Church  was  born  in  a  revival.  It  has  never  lived 
without  revivals,  and  it  never  will. 

The  tendency  of  the  race  is  toward  materialism  in  secular  life  and 
formalism  in  devotion.  These  things  creep  upon  us  as  insidiously 
as  malarial  poison  inoculates  all  who  come  in  its  way.  The  Church 
may  do  many  good  things  in  a  social  way  in  the  community.  It 
may  do  large  things  in  an  educational  way.  It  may  do  much  for 
higher  culture.  It  may  very  properly  do  all  these  things  and  more. 
But  the  business  of  the  Church  and  the  business  of  the  ministry 
is  to  convert  men  from  evil  unto  God,  to  turn  men  from  the  ways 
of  death  unto  the  path  of  eternal  life.  Christians  everywhere 
know  that  this  is  true.  The  Church  has  many  tasks,  all  high  and 
noble.  But  its  first  and  great  task  is  to  win  men  to  Jesus  Christ, 
the  world's  Saviour.  No  one  need  ever  be  afraid  of  the  work  of 
any  really  worthy  vocational  evangelist. — H. 

The  Preaching  That  Attracts 

At  a  Christian  Endeavor  rally  in  New  York  City,  Rev.  J.  Wilbur 
Chapman,  D.D.,  said :  "I  am  just  returned  from  what,  practically, 
has  been  a  four  years'  absence  from  my  native  land.  And  out  of 
this  opportunity  for  reaching  a  just  estimate,  I  can  say  that  all  over 
the  world  the  men  who  are  holding  the  crowds,  the  men  whose 
labors  are  being  signally  crowned  with  success,  the  men  who  above 


284  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

all  others  are  being  listened  to  and  followed,  are  the  men  who  stand 
four-square  on  the  Bible  as  the  authoritative  Word  of  the  living 
God,  and  who  are  preaching  the  unimpeachable  divinity  of  Jesus 
Christ  as  Son,  Saviour  and  Lord." 

That  is  a  preacher's  testimony.  Let  us  listen  to  what  a  layman, 
a  busy  business  man,  Mr.  William  H.  Ridgeway,  of  Coatesville, 
Pa.,  says  along  a  kindred  line.  "When  I  go  down  into  the  earth 
(into  the  coal  mine)  I  am  always  interested  in  and  glad  to  see  that 
far-away  little  white  spot  that  shows  the  place  out.  The  preacher 
makes  the  greatest  mistake  of  his  life  if  he  thinks  the  intellectual 
audience  wants  the  intellectual  sermon  in  preference  to  the  good- 
news  sermon.  Both  the  Avenue  and  the  Slum  want  to  see  the  way 
out,  whether  they  make  for  it  just  then  or  not.  I  have  been  to  hear 
great  music  by  great  artists.  The  audience  goes  wild  on  the  heart 
song.     They  just  applaud  when  she  'shows  what  she  can  do.' " 

With  evangelists  and  evangelistic  meetings  he  has  heartiest  sym- 
pathy, for  he  adds :  "Down  at  Formaltown  there  is  no  getting  to- 
gether, no  outburst  of  song,  no  wakening  up.  Down  there  religion 
is  a  pretty  cold,  half-dead  thing,  where  they  'take  no  stock  in  this 
Billy  Sunday  business.'  I  have  just  been  in  a  town  or  two  where 
crowds  have  packed  tabernacles  night  after  night  for  weeks,  and 
the  sawdust  trails  have  had  no  grass  growing  on  them.  This  is 
what  I  find,  Dr.  Disapprove:  The  churches  are  all  crowded  full  of 
worshipers,  the  Sunday  schools  humming  like  factories,  and  both 
pulpit  and  pew  vibrating  with  joy  and  spirit." 

The  gospel  is  the  great  attraction.  The  good  news  of  salvation 
from  hell  below  to  heaven  above  is  the  great  attraction.  Yes,  the 
divine  Christ,  Son  of  God  and  Son  of  man,  able  and  willing  to 
save,  is  the  great  attraction.  Where  the  saving  Christ  is  lifted 
up  men  will  be  drawn,  and  when  he  is  lifted  up  hearts  will  go 
out  to  accept  and  love  and  serve  him. — H. 

Evangelists 

When  our  Redeemer  "ascended  up  on  high,  he  gave  gifts  unto 
men" — "some,  apostles ;  and  some,  prophets ;  and  some,  evangelists ; 
and  some,  pastors  and  teachers;  for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints, 
for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ ; 
till  we  all  come  in  the  unity  of  the  faith  unto  a  perfect  man,  unto 
the  measure  of  the  stature  of  Christ."  Thus  we  see  that  the  work 
was  not  to  be  done  through  one  department  of  Christian  labor, 
nor  were  different  offices  to  be  merged  in  one,  and  placed  on  one 
man ;  but  there  were  to  be  several  distinct  offices  of  ministerial  labor, 
each  calling  for  special  qualifications,  and  each  filled  by  its  own 
special  workmen,  yet  all  working  in  perfect  harmony,  and  for  the 
same  end — the  perfecting  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 


VOCATIONAL  EVANGELISM  285 

The  Saviour  having  established  these  different  departments,  has 
always  placed  his  seal  rr  approbation  on  them,  and  says  to  those 
who  labor  in  either  oi  them,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world." 

One  of  these  departments,  as  we  have  seen,  is  that  filled  by  the 
evangelist.  An  evangelist  is  a  minister  who  is  not  settled  over  a 
church,  at  least  permanently,  but  is  temporarily  to  fill  a  vacancy,  to 
form  new  churches  and  to  assist  pastors  and  churches  in  special 
labor  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  whenever  such  labor  is  needed. 

Work  began  in  this  branch  of  service  with  the  commencement 
of  the  church  of  Christ.  Thus  we  find  Philip,  the  evangelist,  going 
forth  and  engaging  in  meetings  in  different  places,  for  the  purpose 
of  promoting  revivals  of  religion.  "He  went  down  to  the  city  of 
Samaria,  and  preached  Christ  unto  them,"  continuing  the  meeting 
for  some  days  and  perhaps  weeks.  The  work  became  so  deep  and 
general,  that  Peter  and  John  were  sent  down  from  Jerusalem  by 
the  brethren,  to  assist  in  carrying  it  forward.  After  a  while  these 
brethren  returned  to  Jerusalem,  but  Philip  went  on  towards  Gaza, 
baptizing  the  eunuch  on  the  way.  So  pressing  were  the  calls  for 
this  kind  of  labor,  that  the  "Spirit  caught  away  Philip,"  and  has- 
tened him  on  to  other  places  that  were  waiting  for  him.  His  next 
field  of  labor  was  at  Azotus ;  but  how  long  he  remained  there  we  are 
not  told.  From  Azotus  he  went  on,  and  preached  in  all  the  cities 
till  he  came  to  Cesarea.     Here  was  his  home — the  evangelist's  home. 

Paul  and  his  company  stopped  with  this  evangelist,  and  rested 
several  days.  It  was  no  doubt  a  pleasure  to  Philip  and  his  family 
to  entertain  such  distinguished  guests. 

One  great  source  of  comfort  to  an  evangelist  in  his  work  is  the 
necessity  of  living  near  the  Saviour,  if  he  would  have  success. 
Most  pulpits  are  now  supplied  with  good,  and  in  many  instances 
talented  ministers,  who  preach  clearly  the  gospel  of  Christ :  the 
ground  is  ploughed,  and  the  seed  sown,  and  only  needs  the  showers 
and  harvest  sun  to  commence  "bringing  in  sheaves,"  so  that  the 
evangelist's  work  consists  largely  in  helping  "gather  in  the  harvest." 
To  do  this  work,  he  must  have  "power  with  God."  He  must  abide 
in  Christ  if  he  would  reach  and  move  the  hearts  of  men. 

It  is  said,  "Barnabas  was  a  good  man,  and  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  faith ;  and  much  people  was  added  to  the  Lord." 

We  ought  to  abide  in  the  fullness  of  Christ's  love;  but  if  we  do 
not  from  choice,  it  is  a  great  blessing  to  be  compelled  by  the  very 
nature  of  our  work  to  do  so.  This  alone  is  an  ample  reward  for 
any  sacrifice  we  can  make. 

There  is  to  the  evangelist  also  the  joy  of  constantly  making  new 
friends — and  very  warm  and  lasting  friends  are  those  made  in 
a  revival.  What  a  joy,  then,  to  be  yearly  increasing  the  number  of 
real  friends  by  thousands ! 


286  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

Another  joy  in  this  work  is  that  of  seeing  immediate  results  from 
his  labors.  He  labors  for  this,  and  looks  for  it — if  he  is  right  him- 
self— without  a  doubt,  and  is  not  disappointed.  Here  the  reaper 
overtakes  the  sower,  and  both  rejoice  together.  Every  month  of 
his  labor  he  is,  perhaps,  permitted  to  see  hundreds  of  precious 
souls  gathered  into  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  and  the  churches  greatly 
revived  and  strengthened. 

But  the  greatest  joy  connected  with  the  work  of  a  faithful  evan- 
gelist is  in  reserve  for  him  until  his  labors  are  ended,  and  he  has 
passed  within  the  pearly  gates  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  Then,  when 
the  glories  of  that  wondrous  world  have  fully  burst  upon  his  en- 
raptured vision;  when  his  feet  have  really  pressed  its  gold-paved 
streets,  and  the  bright,  beautiful  banks  of  its  flowing  river;  when 
the  music  of  the  harps  of  gold,  and  of  angel  voices  have  thrilled 
his  soul;  when  he  has  really  seen  and  bowed  himself  before  the 
Saviour;  when  he  begins  to  realize  the  blessedness  and  peace  of 
such  a  home, — who  shall  describe  the  joy  of  his  heart,  as,  from 
that  white-robed  throng  there  come  many  thousands,  gathering 
around  him,  grasping  him  by  the  hand  in  gratitude  and  love,  and 
lead  him  to  the  Redeemer,  saying,  "Jesus,  we  have  believed  on 
thee,  and  been  led  to  this  beautiful  world  through  this  one  whom 
thou  didst  appoint  to  'do  the  work  of  an  evangelist'  in  thine  earthly 
kingdom!"  Oh,  the  joy  of  such  an  hour!  And  the  endless  ages 
roll  on,  and  his  expanding  mind  ranges  in  wider  fields  of  knowl- 
edge, and  comprehends  more  and  more  the  glories  and  wonders 
of  the  "inheritance  of  the  saints,"  that  joy  will  be  ever  growing 
deeper  and  sweeter,  as  he  meets  from  time  to  time  those  who  were 
brought  there  through  his  labors. 

There  may  be  greater  trials  in  other  departments  of  ministerial 
labor  than  in  that  of  the  evangelist,  but  there  cannot  be  greater 
joys.  And  he  whom  God  calls  to  this  work  may  well  rejoice  and 
give  to  it  all  his  strength  and  powers. — Rev.  A.  B.  Earle,  D.D. 


X 
TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS 

ONE  GOD  AND  ONE  MEDIATOR 

By  Christmas  Evans 
(Born  December  25,  1776) 

Text:  "For  there  is  one  God,  and  one  Mediator  between  God 
and  man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus."     1  Tim.  2 :  5. 

The  apostle  Paul  urges  the  propriety  and  importance  of  praying 
for  all  men  in  the  several  conditions  and  relations  of  life  from  a 
consideration  of  God's  merciful  intentions  toward  all  men  as  ex- 
hibited in  the  sufficiency  of  the  gospel  provision  for  their  salvation. 
But  if  any  are  saved  it  must  be  through  the  medium  which  God 
has  ordained  and  in  the  manner  which  God  has  prescribed.  There- 
fore the  apostle  adds :  "For  there  is  one  God,  and  one  Mediator 
between  God  and  man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus."  "There  is  one 
God,"  to  whom  sinners  have  to  be  reconciled ;  "and  one  Mediator," 
through  whom  that  reconciliation  is  to  be  effected.  We  have  a  nearly 
parallel  passage  in  another  epistle. 

"To  us  there  is  but  one  God,  and  Father,  of  whom  are  all  things, 
and  we  in  him ;  and  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  are  all  things, 
and  we  by  him."  The  unity  of  God  and  the  mediation  of  Christ 
are  the  two  great  topics  of  the  text  to  which  we  solicit  your  at- 
tention. 

I.  "For  there  is  one  God."  Two  infinite  beings  cannot  co-exist, 
unless  they  are  one  in  essence  and  in  operation.  The  God  of  Israel 
pervades  the  universe  of  matter  and  fills  the  immensity  of  space. 
There  is  no  room  for  another  God  possessing  the  same  ubiquity. 
"There  is  one  God  and  Father  of  all,  who  is  above  all,  and  through 
all,  and  in  you  all."  In  him  alone  all  things  live,  move,  and  have 
their  being. 

This  doctrine  is  stamped  on  all  the  works  of  nature.  They  all 
exhibit  unity  of  design  and  must  have  been  contrived  by  the  same 
infinite  wisdom  and  executed  by  the  same  infinite  power.  The 
hand  which  created  and  arranged  them  is  constantly  seen  in  their 
preservation.  The  Maker  of  all  things  continues  to  uphold  all 
things  by  the  word  of  his  power.  The  great  Architect  still  presides 
over  the  immense  fabric  which  he  has  reared.  The  universe  from 
age  to  age  is  governed  by  the  same  unvarying  laws.  All  things 
remain  as  they  were  from  the  beginning.     The  earth,  the  air  and  the 

287 


288  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

sea  sustain  the  same  mutual  relations  and  answer  the  same  important 
ends;  and  the  sun,  the  moon  and  the  stars,  shine  on  for  ever.  The 
same  order  and  regularity  everywhere  prevail  as  when  the  chorus 
of  the  morning  stars  welcomed  the  new  creation  into  being.  Nature 
proclaims  aloud :  "There  is  one  God." 

The  same  doctrine  is  impressed  upon  the  Bible.  It  is  not  only 
the  book  of  God,  but  evidently  the  book  of  "one  God."  It  is  a 
series  of  Divine  Revelations  reaching  from  Eden  to  Calvary,  and 
from  Calvary  onward  to  the  end  of  the  world.  It  is  a  golden  chain 
passing  through  all  time  and  uniting  the  two  eternities ;  and  all  its 
links  are  similar,  and  depend  upon  each  other.  Its  several  parts 
are  perfectly  harmonious,  proving  them  to  have  emanated  from 
the  same  infinite  mind.  Everywhere  we  find  the  same  character 
of  God  and  of  man ;  the  same  description  of  the  law  and  of  sin ; 
the  same  way  of  pardon,  and  holiness,  and  immortal  life.  The  same 
Eternal  Spirit  that  inspired  the  Historian  of  Creation  speaks  in 
the  Apocalypse  of  St.  John,  and  in  all  the  intervenient  books  of 
the  Bible.  It  was  the  same  Sun  of  Righteousness  that  rose  in 
Eden,  and  set  on  Calvary;  and  thence  rose  again  the  third  day  to 
set  no  more  for  ever. 

"The  world  by  wisdom  knew  not  God."  The  heathen  lost  the 
doctrine  of  the  unity  of  God;  not  because  it  was  difficult  to  pre- 
serve but  because  they  did  not  love  the  character  of  God,  "did 
not  like  to  retain  God  in  their  knowledge."  The  pride  of  the 
carnal  mind  led  them  to  turn  away  from  the  light  of  heaven  to 
walk  amid  sparks  of  their  own  kindling.  They  boasted  of  their 
wisdom;  they  boasted  of  their  philosophy.  And  what  gained  they 
by  the  exchange  ?  The  most  absurd  and  stupid  notions  of  the  Great 
First  Cause;  almost  total  ignorance  of  his  attributes.  "Professing 
themselves  to  be  wise,  they  became  fools ;  and  changed  the  glory 
of  the  incorruptible  God  into  an  image  made  with  hands,  like  unto 
corruptible  man,  and  to  birds,  and  four-footed  beasts,  and  creep- 
ing things."     Shame  to  philosophic  Greece  and  Rome ! 

No  nation  having  once  lost  the  doctrine  of  the  unity  of  God, 
ever  regained  it  by  the  light  of  nature.  If  the  light  of  nature  is 
sufficient  to  preserve  it  in  possession,  it  is  not  sufficient  to  restore  it 
lost.  It  is  restored  only  by  the  gospel.  The  gospel  has  restored  it 
in  India,  in  Otaheite,  and  other  heathen  lands.  It  has  done  more; 
it  has  revealed  to  the  savage  the  only  way  of  salvation;  it  has 
"brought  life  and  immortality  to  light." 

"Fly  abroad,  thou  mighty  gospel! 
Win  and  conquer !  never  cease !" 

Lift  up  thy  voice  with  strength,  and  proclaim  to  Greece  and 
Rome,  and  to  all  the  ends  of  the  earth,  as  well  as  to  the  cities 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  289 

of  Judah,  that  the  Son  of  Mary  is  the  God  of  Israel,  "God  manifest 
in  the  flesh,"  "God  blessed  forever!"  "The  man  Christ  Jesus"  is 
"the  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his 
person,  in  whom  dwelleth  all  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead  bodily;" 
"in  whom  also  we  have  redemption  through  his  blood,  the  forgive- 
ness of-  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  his  grace." 

II.  But  this  leads  us  to  our  second  topic:  "And  one  Mediator 
between  God  and  man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus."  The  two  doctrines 
you  perceive  are  intimately  related  to  each  other.  "One  God" — 
"One  Mediator."  As  we  have  but  "one  God,"  we  need  but  "One 
Mediator."  As  that  Mediator  is  himself  God,  the  merit  of  his 
mediation  is  sufficient  for  the  salvation  of  all  them  that  believe. 

The  office  of  a  Mediator  supposes  two  parties  at  variance,  be- 
tween whom  he  interposes  to  produce  a  reconciliation.  It  is  thus 
"between  God  and  man."  God  gave  man  a  law,  "holy  and  just  and 
good ;"  man  revolted,  and  "there  is  wrath."  Reconciliation  is  im- 
possible without  the  intervention  of  a  mediator.  Let  us  look  at  the 
parties  engaged  in  this  dreadful  controversy. 

On  one  side  we  see  Jehovah  possessed  of  infinite  perfections  and 
clothed  with  uncreated  excellence  and  glory.  He  is  self-existent, 
independent  and  eternal.  Omnipresence,  Omniscience  and  Almighti- 
ness  are  his.  He  is  great  in  wisdom,  full  of  goodness,  slow  to  anger, 
and  ready  to  pardon.  His  love  is  ineffable,  and  "his  mercy  en- 
dureth  for  ever."  He  is  "glorious  in  holiness,  fearful  in  praises, 
doing  wonders."  These  perfections  are  the  pearls  and  diamonds  in 
his  crown.  "With  him  also  is  terrible  majesty."  Life  and  joy  are 
in  his  smile,  but  the  angel  of  destruction  waits  upon  his  frown.  One 
beam  of  his  love  can  raise  thousands  of  men  to  heaven :  one  glance 
of  his  anger  sink  myriads  of  angels  to  hell.  "He  sitteth  upon  the 
circles  of  the  earth,  and  the  inhabitants  thereof  are  as  grasshop- 
pers." "All  nations  before  him  are  as  nothing;  they  are  counted 
less  than  nothing  and  vanity."  "He  doeth  according  to  his  will 
among  the  children  of  men,  and  ruleth  the  armies  of  heaven."  "At 
his  wrath  the  earth  shall  tremble,  and  the  nations  shall  not  be  able  to 
abide  his  indignation."  Oh,  what  majesty  and  power  belong  unto 
the  Lord  our  God ! 

With  this  imperfect  view,  contrast  the  impotence  and  insignifi- 
cance of  sinful  man.  What  is  he?  A  being  of  yesterday,  "whose 
breath  is  in  his  nostrils,"  and  "whose  foundation  is  in  the  dust." 
A  frail,  helpless,  perishing  thing;  dependent  upon  God,  the  Creator, 
for  all  his  comforts,  for  life  itself.  What  is  man?  A  fool;  an 
alien  from  all  good ;  an  embodiment  of  all  evil.  His  understanding 
is  dark ;  his  will  perverse ;  his  affections  carnal.  His  "throat  is  an 
open  sepulchre ;"  swallowing  up  "whatsoever  things  are  true,  pure, 
lovely,  or  of  good  report;"  emitting  a  pestilential  vapor,  which 
withers  every  green  herb  and  sweet  flower  and  delicious  fruit  of 


290  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

honor  to  God  and  happiness  to  man.  "The  poison  of  asps  is  under 
his  tongue;"  an  inflaming  poison,  affecting  all  the  members,  and 
"setting  on  fire  the  whole  course  of  nature,  and  it  is  set  on  fire  of 
hell."  "His  heart  is  fully  set  in  him  to  do  evil ;"  "deceitful  above 
all  things,  and  desperately  wicked."  He  is  an  enemy  to  his  Maker; 
a  rebel  against  Jehovah ;  a  blank — nay,  worse — a  blot  in  God's  crea- 
tion ;  dead  to  every  virtue,  dead  to  every  thing  but  sin ;  lost  to  every 
gracious  purpose  of  his  being;  a  withered  branch,  fit  only  to  be 
plucked  off  and  cast  into  the  fire;  stubble,  ready  for  the  burning. 
"Let  him  alone !"  said  Reason.  "Cut  him  down !"  cried  Justice. 
"I  hate  the  workers  of  iniquity !"  added  Holiness.  "He  or  I  must 
perish!"  exclaimed  Truth.  "Spare  him!  Spare  him!  Spare  him!" 
pleaded  weeping  Mercy.  And  Wisdom  came  forth,  leading  the  Son 
of  God,  and  said :  "I  have  found  a  ransom !  Behold  the  Mediator !" 
And  all  the  attributes  met  and  embraced  at  the  manger,  and  kissed 
each  other  at  the  cross ! 

It  was  man's  place  as  the  offender  to  seek  a  reconciliation. 
God  was  under  no  obligation.  But,  alas !  man  had  neither  the  means 
nor  the  inclination.  What  could  be  done  ?  Hear,  O  ye  heavens ! 
and  be  astonished !  Listen,  O  earth !  and  wonder  and  adore !  While 
man  was  far  from  God,  an  enemy  in  his  heart  by  wicked  works, 
rushing  on  in  determined  hostility  to  his  Maker's  government,  and 
there  was  no  sacrifice  found  for  his  sin,  and  no  disposition  in  him  to 
seek  a  sacrifice,  God  sought  within  himself  the  adequate  and  only 
means  of  pardon  and  peace.  He  found  in  his  own  bosom  the  Lamb 
for  the  altar;  exhibited  him  to  Israel  in  the  predictions  and  promises 
of  the  Old  Testament;  and  in  the  fullness  of  time  sent  him  forth 
to  expiate  sin  by  the  offering  of  himself,  once  for  all.  "For  the 
Word  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us ;  and  we  beheld  his  glory, 
the  glory  as  of  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and 
truth."  "And  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  him- 
self, and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  Cross." 

God  provided  a  Mediator.  Why?  Did  he  fear  that  the  deserved 
ruin  of  the  human  race  would  dethrone  eternal  Justice?  No. 
Eternal  Justice  would  have  been  honored  as  much  in  their  destruc- 
tion as  in  their  salvation.  The  law  would  have  been  as  fully  vin- 
dicated in  the  infliction  of  its  penalty  upon  the  transgressor  as  in  the 
reparation  of  its  breach  by  a  vicarious  atonement.  The  glory  of  the 
Divine  government  would  have  been  untarnished,  as  when  the  rebel 
angels  were  cast  down  from  heaven  and  locked  up  in  everlasting 
darkness.  This  wondrous  provision  was  not  the  result  of  necessity, 
but  the  prompting  of  Infinite  Love.  Divine  Mercy  sought  to  remove 
the  barrier  interposed  by  Divine  Justice.  The  sinner  cannot  be 
pardoned  till  his  Great  Substitute  has  met  the  demands  of  the  law. 
There  must  be  a  full  satisfaction  and  settlement  of  its  claims  as  the 
only  ground  on  which  the  rebel  can  be  acquitted. 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  291 

Love  is  the  "Alpha  and  Omega"  of  redemption,  the  love  of  God 
to  man.  Read  it  in  the  journey  of  the  Mediator  from  heaven  to 
earth !  Read  it  in  his  pilgrimage  through  the  land  of  sorrow !  Be- 
hold him  "nailed  to  the  shameful  tree!"  See  the  blood  and  water 
gushing  from  his  side !  Hear  the  sound  of  the  water-spouts,  as  the 
floods  of  wrath  roll  over  him !  Then  ask  the  reason.  The  answer 
is:  "God  is  love."  "He  is  not  willing  that  any  should  perish."  It 
seemed  good  in  his  sight  to  save  his  rebel  children,  whatever  it  might 
cost  him.  "God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
eternal  life."  "Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God" — no;  we 
hated  him;  we  were  his  sworn,  inveterate  foes;  "but  that  he  loved 
us" — loved  us  while  we  were  yet  enemies — loved  us  with  an  ineffable 
love ;  "and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our  sins." 

Wonderful  must  be  the  qualifications  of  such  a  Mediator.  He 
fills  with  his  own  merit  the  gap  between  two  worlds.  He  bows  the 
heavens  and  lifts  up  the  earth  to  meet  them.  He  takes  hold  of  God 
and  man  and  brings  them  together  in  himself.  He  reconciles  the 
rebel  and  the  law,  glorifies  the  Father  by  humbling  himself,  and  his 
cross  becomes  our  life  and  his  tomb  the  birthplace  of  our  immor- 
tality. 

England  and  Wales  could  not  be  united  till  the  son  of  the  king  of 
England  was  born  in  Wales,  and  became  Prince  of  Wales.  The 
English  regarded  him  as  heir  to  the  throne  of  England ;  while  the 
Welsh  claimed  him  as  their  brother,  a  native  of  their  own  country, 
born  in  the  castle  of  Caernarvon.  Behold  "the  well  beloved" — "the 
only  begotten  of  the  father,"  "heir  of  all  things,"  "Lord  of  lords, 
and  King  of  kings,"  born  "in  Bethlehem  of  Judea;"  "the  Son  of 
God — the  Son  of  man ;"  partaking  of  both  natures  and  representing 
both  parties  in  the  great  controversy.  He  is  "the  Mighty  God,  and 
the  Everlasting  Father;"  yet  he  is  our  near  kinsman — bone  of  our 
bone,  and  flesh  of  our  flesh.  In  his  person,  heaven  and  earth  are 
joined ;  by  his  blood  God  and  man  are  reconciled.  Heaven  is  his 
throne,  for  God  is  his  Father;  earth  is  his  principality,  for  it  is  the 
land  of  his  nativity.  In  him  angels  recognize  their  King,  and  men 
behold  their  brother. 

I  gaze  on  the  cross,  and  methinks  I  hear  the  victim  say :  "Look 
unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  ye  ends  of  the  earth ;  for  I  am  God,  and 
beside  me  there  is  none  else.  I  opened  a  way  for  my  people  of  old, 
by  dividing  the  waters,  to  the  Canaan  of  Promise ;  I  am  now  pre- 
paring a  path  for  believers,  through  the  red  sea  of  my  blood,  to  the 
inheritance  in  heaven.  I  gave  the  law  amid  fire  and  smoke  on  Sinai, 
and  thundered  forth  my  curse  upon  its  violator;  I  am  here  on 
Calvary,  to  honor  that  violated  law,  and  remove  that  curse  from  its 
violator  by  taking  it  upon  myself.  Behold  my  hands,  my  feet,  my 
side !    This  blood,  O  men !  is  your  sacrifice.    I  will  expiate  your  sin 


292  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

by  my  sufferings.  I  will  magnify  the  law,  and  make  it  honorable. 
And  though  in  your  nature  I  hang  on  this  tree  to-day,  I  will  revive, 
and  live  for  ever,  to  make  intercession  for  the  transgressors,  and 
save  to  the  uttermost  all  that  come  unto  God  by  me !" 

III.  The  mediatorial  office  of  "the  man  Christ  Jesus"  consists  of 
two  parts,  sacrifice  and  intercession.  They  are  equally  important, 
and  mutually  dependent.  Without  sacrifice,  there  is  no  ground  of 
intercession;  without  intercession,  there  is  no  benefit  in  sacrifice. 
The  former  renders  the  latter  influential  with  God;  the  latter  ren- 
ders the  former  available  to  man.  The  one  removes  the  obstacles  to 
reconciliation,  the  other  brings  the  adverse  parties  together. 

1.  The  first  part  of  the  mediatorial  office  is  sacrifice.  In  order  to 
understand  this  aright,  we  must  have  correct  views  of  God,  of  man, 
and  of  sin.  We  must  consider  God  as  the  lawgiver  and  governor  of 
the  universe,  eternally  hostile  to  all  iniquity,  and  determined  to  sus- 
tain his  just  administration.  We  must  consider  man  as  a  guilty 
and  polluted  creature,  a  rebel  in  arms  against  his  Maker,  a  prisoner 
under  sentence  and  deserving  punishment.  We  must  consider  sin 
as  an  inexcusable  omission  of  duty,  and  a  flagrant  transgression  of 
the  law  under  circumstances  of  peculiar  aggravation.  The  debt 
must  be  paid  or  the  sinner  must  perish.  An  atonement  must  be 
made,  of  merit  equal  to  the  turpitude  of  our  crimes.  The  stain 
which  we  have  cast  upon  the  law  must  be  washed  out  by  blood  of 
infinite  preciousness.  This  is  the  work  of  our  Mediator.  He  "gave 
himself  a  ransom  for  all."  He  made  a  perfect  satisfaction  for  our 
sins.  "He  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  and  bruised  for 
our  iniquities ;  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him,  and 
with  his  stripes  we  are  healed."  It  is  not  by  blood  of  bulls  and 
goats,  slain  on  Jewish  altars,  but  by  a  nobler  and  costlier  sacrifice 
— the  paschal  "Lamb  of  God,"  that  heaven  and  earth  are  recon- 
ciled— God  and  man  united. 

2.  The  second  part  of  the  mediatorial  office  is  intercession.  It 
was  through  the  High-priest,  the  typical  mediator,  that  God  com- 
municated with  Israel  and  Israel  communicated  with  God ;  it  is 
through  "the  man  Christ  Jesus,"  the  real  Mediator,  that  God  speaks 
to  the  world  and  receives  the  prayers  of  his  people.  Having  "borne 
the  sins  of  many,"  he  "maketh  intercession  for  the  transgressors." 
"He  hath  entered  into  heaven  himself  there  to  appear  in  the  pres- 
ence of  God  for  us."  He  has  gone  into  the  holy  of  holies,  with  "the 
blood  of  sprinkling,  which  speaketh  better  things  than  the  blood  of 
Abel."  "If  any  man  sin,  we  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father, 
Jesus  Christ  the  righteous."  "Through  him  we  both" — that  is,  both 
Jews  and  Gentiles — "have  access  by  one  Spirit  unto  the  Father." 
He  holds  in  his  hand  the  golden  censer  and  offers  much  incense  be- 
fore the  throne.  It  is  this  that  perfumes  our  prayers  and  renders 
them  acceptable  to  God.     He  pleaded  for  his  murderers  when  he 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  293 

hung  upon  the  cross  and  now  he  pleads  in  heaven  for  those  who 
crucify  him  afresh.  And  what  is  the  ground  of  his  plea?  Not  the 
merit  of  our  works,  but  the  merit  of  his  own  sufferings.  Not  the 
infinitude  of  the  Father's  mercy,  but  the  sufficiency  of  his  own  sacri- 
fice. This  is  the  sure  foundation  of  a  sinner's  hope.  If  Satan  sug- 
gests that  his  crimes  are  too  great  to  be  forgiven,  he  may  reply : 
"The  man  Christ  Jesus"  is  my  advocate,  the  advocate  of  "the  chief 
of  sinners;" 

"And  should  I  die  with  mercy  sought, 
When  I  his  grace  have  tried, 
I  sure  should  die — delightful  thought ! — 
Where  sinner  never  died!" 

"One  Mediator."  There  is  no  choice.  You  must  accept  of  him, 
or  remain  unreconciled,  and  be  cast  into  hell.  Israel  found  but  one 
path  through  the  Red  Sea ;  the  church  shall  never  find  more  than 
one  way  to  the  heavenly  Canaan.  It  is  only  by  faith  in  the  "One 
Mediator"  that  you  can  obtain  the  favor  of  the  "One  God."  He  is 
the  elect  and  beloved  of  the  Father,  the  appointed  medium  of  man's 
approach,  the  designated  channel  of  God's  communication.  "Neither 
is  there  salvation  in  any  other."  No  other  has  been  provided.  No 
other  is  suited  to  our  necessities.  O  sinner!  come  through  this 
"new  and  living  way!"    Christ  invites  your  confidence. 

"Venture  on  him;  venture  freely; 
Let  no  other  trust  intrude ! 
None  but  Jesus,  none  but  Jesus, 
Can  do  helpless  sinners  good." 

These  glorious  truths  we  cannot  read  too  often,  or  meditate  too 
much.  They  represent  to  us  the  great  evil  of  sin,  the  infinite  mercy 
of  God,  the  inflexible  character  of  the  law,  and  the  incalculable 
preciousness  of  the  gospel.  Such  is  the  Father's  estimate  of  the 
Mediator  that  he  will  be  reconciled  to  sinners  only  through  his 
blood.  He  is  well  pleased  with  his  Son,  and  well  pleased  with  all 
who  seek  him  through  his  Son,  and  nothing  is  more  offensive  to  him 
than  the  rejection  of  his  Son.  May  these  remarks  preserve  you 
from  despair  under  a  sense  of  your  guilt  and  wretchedness ;  drive 
you  from  all  false  refuges  to  the  cross,  with  a  penitent  and  grateful 
heart ;  induce  you  to  trust,  not  in  your  own  strength,  or  wisdom,  or 
righteousness,  but  in  the  adorable  name  of  Jesus ;  to  live  a  life  of 
faith  in  him,  of  love  towards  him,  and  of  patient  waiting  for  his 
mercy  unto  eternal  salvation! 

If  you  are  already  partakers  of  these  blessings,  how  transcendent 
is  your  privilege!    "Ye  are  come  unto  Mount  Zion,  the  city  of  the 


294  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem ;  and  to  an  innumerable  company 
of  angels;  and  to  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect;  and  to  the 
general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first-born,  which  are  written  in 
heaven;  and  to  God,  the  judge  of  all;  and  to  Jesus,  the  Mediator 
of  the  new  covenant ;  and  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling,  that  speaketh 
better  things  than  that  of  Abel."  Follow  the  Captain  of  your  salva- 
tion. Cleave  to  him  in  the  fire  and  the  flood.  Turn  not  aside  to 
the  lying  vanities  of  the  world,  lest  you  drink  the  cup  of  its  eternal 
sorrows.  Remember  that  those  who  suffer  with  the  crucified  shall 
reign  with  the  glorified ;  that  such  as  are  faithful  unto  death  shall 
receive  the  crown  of  life.  Be  careful  to  "keep  the  unity  of  the 
spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace."  Endure  unto  the  end,  and  ye  shall 
be  saved. 

"Now  the  God  of  peace,  that  brought  again  from  the  dead  our 
Lord  Jesus,  that  Great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep,  through  the  blood  of 
the  everlasting  covenant,  make  you  perfect  in  every  good  work,  to 
do  his  will,  working  in  you  that  which  is  well  pleasing  in  his  sight, 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever." 
Amen. 

YE  WILL  NOT  COME  TO  ME 

By  Rev.  Robert  Murray  McCheyne 
(Born  May  21,  1813) 

Text:  "And  ye  will  not  come  to  me,  that  ye  might  have  life." 
John  5 :  40. 

There  is  nothing  more  sad  and  nothing  more  strange  than  that 
when  there  is  a  Saviour  that  is  enough  for  all  the  world,  so  few 
should  come  to  him  to  be  saved.  If  a  life-boat  were  sent  out  to  a 
wreck  sufficient  to  save  all  the  crew  and  if  it  came  back  with  less 
than  half  of  them  you  would  inquire  with  anxiety  why  the  rest  had 
not  been  saved  by  it.  Just  so,  when  Christ  has  come  to  seek  and 
save  that  which  was  lost  and  yet  the  vast  majority  are  unsaved  it 
behooves  us  to  inquire  why  so  many  are  not  saved  by  Christ.  We 
have  the  answer  in  these  words :  "Ye  will  not  come  to  me,  that  ye 
might  have  life."  Sinners  are  lost,  not  by  reason  of  anything  in 
Christ,  but  by  reason  of  something  in  themselves.  They  will  not 
come  to  Christ,  that  they  might  have  life. 

I.    It  is  not  by  reason  of  anything  in  Christ  that  sinners  are  lost. 

1.  It  is  not  because  Christ  is  not  sufficient  to  save  all.  The  whole 
Bible  shows  that  Christ  is  quite  sufficient  to  save  all  the  world ;  that 
all  the  world  would  be  saved  if  all  the  world  were  to  come  to 
Christ:  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the 
world."     The  meaning  of  that  is,  not  that  the  sins  of  the  whole 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  295 

world  are  now  taken  away.  It  is  quite  plain  that  the  whole  world 
is  not  forgiven  at  present.  Because  the  whole  world  is  not  saved. 
Because  God  everywhere  calls  sinners  to  repentance,  and  the  first 
work  of  the  Spirit  is  to  convince  of  sin — of  the  heavy  burden  that 
is  now  lying  on  Christless  souls.  Because  forgiveness  in  the  Bible 
is  everywhere  attached  to  believing.  When  they  brought  to  Jesus 
a  man  sick  of  the  palsy,  Jesus  seeing  his  faith,  said  unto  him :  "Son, 
be  of  good  cheer;  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee."  Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved.  The  simple  truth  of  the  Bible  is, 
that  Christ  hath  suffered  and  died  in  the  stead  of  sinners — as  a  com- 
mon person  in  their  stead;  and  every  man  that  is  a  sinner  hath  a 
right  to  come. 

Christ  is  quite  sufficient  for  all,  and  I  would  prove  it  by  this 
argument:  If  he  was  sufficient  for  one  sinner,  then  he  must  be  suf- 
ficient for  all.  The  great  difficulty  with  God  (I  speak  as  a  man) 
was,  not  how  to  admit  many  sinners  into  his  favor,  but  how  to  admit 
one  sinner  into  his  favor.  If  that  difficulty  has  been  got  over  in 
Jesus  Christ  then  the  whole  difficulty  has  been  got  over.  If  one 
sinner  may  come  unto  God  clothed  in  Christ  then  all  sinners  may. 
If  one  sinner  may  have  peace  with  God  and  God  be  yet  just  and 
glorious  then  every  sinner  may  have  peace  with  him.  If  Christ  was 
enough  for  Abel  then  he  is  enough  for  all  that  come  after.  If  one 
dying  thief  may  look  to  him  and  be  saved  so  may  every  dying  thief. 
If  one  trembling  jailer  may  believe  on  Jesus  and  rejoice,  believing, 
so  may  every  other  trembling  sinner.  O  brethren!  you  may  doubt 
and  wrangle  about  whether  Christ  be  enough  for  your  soul  but  if 
you  die  Christless  you  will  see  that  there  was  room  enough  under 
his  wings  but  you  would  not. 

2.  Sinners  are  lost  not  because  Christ  is  unwilling  to  save  all. 
The  whole  Bible  shows  that  Christ  is  quite  willing  and  anxious  that 
all  sinners  should  come  to  him.  The  city  of  refuge  in  the  Old 
Testament  was  a  type  of  Christ;  and  you  remember  that  its  gates 
were  open  by  night  and  by  day.  The  arms  of  Christ  were  nailed 
wide  open  when  he  hung  upon  the  cross ;  and  this  was  a  figure  of 
his  wide  willingness  to  save  all,  as  he  said :  "I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from 
the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me."  But  though  his  arms  were 
firmly  nailed  they  are  more  firmly  nailed  wide  open  now  by  his  love 
and  compassion  for  perishing  sinners  than  ever  they  were  nailed 
to  the  tree. 

There  is  no  unwillingness  in  the  heart  of  Jesus  Christ.  When 
people  are  willing  and  anxious  about  something,  they  do  everything 
that  lies  in  their  power  to  bring  it  to  pass.  So  did  Jesus  Christ: 
"What  could  have  been  done  more  for  my  vineyard,  that  I  have  not 
done  in  it?"  But  if  they  are  very  anxious  they  will  attempt  it 
again  and  again.  So  did  Jesus  Christ:  "O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem, 
how  often  would  I  have  gathered  your  children  as  a  hen  gathereth 


296  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not !"  But  if  they  are 
still  more  anxious  they  will  be  grieved  if  they  are  disappointed.  So 
was  Jesus  Christ :  "When  he  came  near,  he  beheld  the  city,  and  wept 
over  it."  But  if  they  are  very  anxious  they  will  suffer  pain  rather 
than  lose  their  object.  So  did  Jesus  Christ:  The  good  Shepherd 
gave  his  life  for  the  sheep.  Ah!  dear  brethren,  if  you  perish,  it  is 
not  because  Jesus  wishes  you  to  perish. 

A  word  to  anxious  souls.  How  strange  it  is  that  anxious  souls 
do  most  of  all  doubt  the  willingness  of  Christ  to  be  their  Saviour, 
yet  these  should  least  of  all  doubt  him.  If  he  is  a  willing  Saviour 
to  any,  oh,  surely  he  is  a  willing  Saviour  to  a  weary  soul !  Remem- 
ber the  blind  beggar  of  Jericho.  He  was  in  your  case,  blind  and 
helpless,  and  he  cried,  "Jesus,  thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  upon 
me."  And  when  the  crowd  bade  him  hold  his  peace  he  cried  so 
much  the  more.  Was  Jesus  unwilling  to  be  that  beggar's  Saviour? 
He  stood  still,  and  commanded  him  to  be  brought,  and  said :  "Thy 
faith  hath  made  thee  whole."  He  is  the  same  willing  Saviour  still. 
Cry  after  him ;  and  though  the  world  may  bid  you  hold  your  peace, 
cry  after  him  just  so  much  the  more. 

A  word  to  careless  souls :  You  say  Christ  may  be  a  willing  Saviour 
to  others,  but  surely  not  to  you.  Oh,  yes !  he  is  quite  willing  for  you 
too.  See  him  sitting  by  the  well  of  Samaria,  convincing  one  poor 
sinful  woman  of  her  sins,  and  leading  her  to  himself.  He  is  the 
same  Saviour  towards  you  this  day.  If  you  do  perish,  it  is  not  be- 
cause Christ  is  unwilling.  He  wills  all  men  to  be  saved  and  to  come 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  He  pleads  with  you  and  says :  "Turn 
ye,  turn  ye,  why  will  ye  die?" 

II.  True  reasons  why  men  do  not  come  to  Jesus  Christ.  It  is 
because  they  will  not  come.  The  reason  is  not  in  Christ,  but  in 
themselves. 

1.  Ignorance  of  Jesus  Christ  is  one  reason  why  sinners  do  not 
come  to  him.  So  it  was  with  the  Jews.  They  being  ignorant  of 
God's  righteousness  and  going  about  to  establish  their  own  right- 
eousness, would  not  submit  themselves  to  the  righteousness  of  God. 
And  so  it  is  with  many  sinners  amongst  us.  They  will  not  come  to 
Jesus  Christ  because  they  do  not  know  him.  It  is  quite  amazing  the 
great  ignorance  which  exists  in  the  midst  of  us.  Some  who  have 
lived  under  the  preached  Word  for  years  yet  do  not  know  who 
Jesus  Christ  is.  He  is  an  utter  stranger  to  them.  Some  do  not 
know  from  whence  he  came,  or  whither  he  has  gone,  or  who  sent 
him  into  the  world,  or  why  he  came,  and  why  he  suffered  and  obeyed. 
Many  more  have  no  personal  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ.  They 
have  had  no  revelation  of  Christ  made  to  them.  They  are  ignorant 
of  his  beauty  and  fitness  to  their  own  case  as  a  Saviour;  and  there- 
fore they  will  not  come  to  Christ  to  have  life.  In  a  shower  of  rain, 
you  would  not  turn  aside  into  a  shelter  unless  you  knew  that  there 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  297 

was  a  shelter  there.  Though  you  had  lived  at  the  time  of  the  flood, 
if  you  lived  in  complete  ignorance  of  the  ark,  it  is  plain  you  would 
not  have  fled  to  it ;  or  even  if  you  had  known  it  and  seen  it  and 
heard  of  it,  yet  if  you  did  not  know  the  use  of  it  you  would  never 
have  fled  to  it.  So  is  it  with  sinners  now.  Many  do  not  know 
about  Jesus  Christ  though  he  is  the  only  ark;  and  therefore  they 
will  not  come  to  him.  Many  know  something  about  Jesus  Christ 
but  they  do  not  know  the  use  of  him  to  their  perishing  souls;  and 
so  they  also  will  not  come  to  Christ  to  have  life. 

Do  not  live  in  ignorance  of  him,  dear  souls,  I  .beseech  you. 
Seek  for  him  as  for  silver,  yea,  search  for  him  as  for  hid  treasures. 
Do  not  say  you  are  too  old  to  learn.  If  the  Spirit  be  your  teacher 
he  can  make  it  quite  easy.  He  can  take  of  the  things  of  Christ,  and 
show  them  unto  you.  Do  not  say  you  are  too  young  to  learn.  Hap- 
piest they  who  know  him  soonest!  Happy  lambs,  that  are  soon 
gathered  into  the  Saviour's  bosom! 

2.  Another  reason  why  sinners  do  not  come  to  Christ  is  that  they 
have  no  sense  that  they  need  him.  If  you  had  slain  a  man  but  had 
no  sense  that  the  blood-avenger  was  pursuing  you,  you  would  not 
flee  to  the  city  of  refuge.  If  your  vessel  was  sinking  but  you  did 
not  perceive  it,  you  would  not  get  into  the  life-boat.  If  you  were 
sick  and  dying  but  had  no  sense  of  it,  you  would  not  send  for  the 
physician.  Just  so  if  you  have  no  sense  of  being  under  the  wrath  of 
God  and  exposed  to  hell,  you  will  not  come  to  Christ  that  you  may 
have  life.  If  you  look  around,  you  will  see  that  the  most  of  men 
have  no  feeling  of  anxiety  about  their  souls.  You  will  find  men 
anxious  about  their  families ;  about  their  money  or  their  goods ; 
about  their  character  in  the  world;  but,  ah!  why  so  few  come  to 
Jesus  Christ?  I  answer,  Because  so  few  are  anxious  about  their 
souls.  Now,  if  a  man  be  never  awakened  to  flee  from  wrath  it  is 
plain  and  certain  that  he  will  never  come  to  Jesus  Christ.  The 
three  thousand  were  pricked  in  their  hearts  and  then  inquired  after 
Christ.  The  jailer  trembled  for  his  soul  and  then  was  brought  to 
rejoice  in  Christ  Jesus.  But  no  one  was  ever  brought  to  Christ 
without  being  convinced  of  sin. 

Careless  persons,  you  should  seek  these  convictions ;  you  should 
cry  to  God  for  them;  you  should  try  to  get  your  heart  made  alive 
to  the  sadness  of  your  natural  condition ;  for  if  you  are  never 
awakened  you  will  never  come  to  Jesus  Christ;  you  will  never  be 
saved. 

Anxious  persons,  you  should  seek  to  keep  up  these  convictions. 
They  are  easily  lost.  You  should  cry  to  God  to  make  them  deeper 
in  your  heart.  If  you  lose  them  they  may  never  come  back.  You 
may  become  another  Lot's  wife — a  pillar  of  salt.  If  you  lose  them 
you  will  never  come  to  Christ,  and  never  be  saved. 

3.  A  third  reason  why  sinners  do  not  come  to  Christ  is  that  the 


298  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

heart  rises  against  him.  Many  are  brought  in  some  measure  to  a 
sense  of  their  sin  and  lost  condition,  who  yet  cannot  be  persuaded 
to  come  to  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  not  anything  in  Christ  that  prevents 
them — it  is  something  that  rises  up  in  their  own  hearts.  Christ  is 
quite  open — he  is  a  door  which  no  man  can  shut;  and  they  would 
fain  be  at  rest  in  him,  and  yet  their  proud  hearts  rise  up  against 
him. 

There  may  be  two  reasons  for  this:  (1)  Perhaps  your  anxiety 
has  set  you  upon  establishing  your  own  righteousness ;  and,  there- 
fore, you  are  too  proud  to  come  to  Jesus  Christ.  This  was  the  way 
with  the  Jews.  They  were  not  only  ignorant  of  God's  righteous- 
ness, but  they  went  about  to  establish  their  own  righteousness ;  and, 
therefore,  they  would  not  submit  to  the  righteousness  of  God.  Per- 
haps you  thought  when  you  were  first  awakened  that  you  would 
soon  find  your  way  to  peace.  You  thought  by  tears  and  prayers 
and  amendment  of  your  life  to  blot  out  past  sin.  You  have  been 
making  a  false  Christ  to  yourself,  and  that  is  the  reason  you  do  not 
like  the  true  Christ ;  and  Christ  says  of  you :  "Ye  will  not  come  to 
me  that  ye  might  have  life."  To  come  to  Christ,  you  would  need  to 
forsake  your  own  righteousness — to  confess  that  your  wisdom  is 
folly — to  lie  down  empty  and  vile  and  without  praise,  and  to  consent 
that  Jesus  Christ  shall  have  all  the  praise ;  but  your  proud,  self- 
flattering  heart  rises  against  this ;  and  this  is  the  reason  you  perish ; 
"You  will  not  come  to  me,  that  you  might  have  life."  (2)  Another 
way  in  which  anxious  souls  keep  away  from  Christ  is  this :  You 
have  been  shaken  off  from  all  dependence  on  your  own  repentance 
or  prayers  or  amendment  to  make  you  righteous  in  the  sight  of 
God.  You  have  laid  you  down  in  the  dust  and  confessed  that  if 
ever  you  are  to  be  justified  it  must  be  through  the  obedience  and 
sufferings  of  the  Son  of  God.  Now,  you  have  lain  so  long  thus 
emptied  that  you  think  Jesus  Christ  should  have  been  revealed  to 
you  by  this  time.  In  a  word,  you  have  been  humbling  yourself  to 
make  yourself  worthy  of  Jesus  Christ.  Alas !  this  is  a  still  prouder 
thought  than  the  one  before.  You  are  not  seeking  to  buy  forgive- 
ness from  God  by  your  humblings  and  by  your  tears,  but  you  are 
seeking  to  buy  Christ  from  God  by  these  humblings.  You  think 
that  your  humblings  and  tears  deserve  Christ ;  so  that  you  have 
been  attempting  to  buy  that  which  buys  forgiveness.  This  is  a  deep 
snare  of  the  devil  which  hinders  many  anxious  souls  from  coming 
to  Jesus  Christ  without  money  and  without  price. 

There  is  reason  to  think  that  many  souls  perish  in  this  way.  They 
fulfill  this  sad  word  of  Christ;  "Ye  will  not  come  to  me,  that  ye 
might  have  life."  I  would  leave  two  directions  with  anxious  souls. 
(1)  You  must  be  made  willing  to  come  to  Jesus  Christ,  if  you 
would  be  saved.  You  cannot  be  saved  against  your  will.  Some 
people  have  hopes  that  they  will  be  lifted  into  Christ  against  their 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  299 

will.  This  is  impossible.  Noah  was  not  lifted  into  the  ark,  but 
God  said:  "Come  in."  So  Christ's  people  are  a  willing  people. 
They  come  willingly,  with  all  their  heart  and  soul.  Not  only  do 
they  flee  willingly  from  wrath,  but  they  flee  willingly  to  Jesus 
Christ ;  they  choose  to  be  saved  by  him  rather  than  any  other  way. 
If  there  were  ten  thousand  other  saviours,  they  would  still  choose 
Christ;  for  he  is  the  chief  est  among  ten  thousand,  and  they  feel  it 
sweetest  and  best  to  be  nothing  and  have  nothing  that  Christ  may 
be  all  in  all.  (2)  God  only  can  bend  your  will  to  come  to  Jesus 
Christ:  "No  man  can  call  Jesus  Lord,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost." 
"No  man  can  come  to  me,  except  the  Father  which  hath  sent  me 
draw  him."  It  is  God  that  must  beat  down  all  your  proud  imagina- 
tions. It  is  he  that  must  reveal  your  guilt  and  nakedness.  He  must 
make  you  feel  the  emptiness  and  sin  of  all  your  self-righteousness. 
He  must  reveal  the  beauty  of  Christ  unto  you,  his  comeliness,  his 
desirableness.  He  must  convince  you  that  it  is  sweetest  to  have  no 
praise,  and  to  let  Jesus  have  the  whole.  Oh !  seek  the  teaching  of 
God.  The  teaching  of  man  is  a  mere  dream,  if  you  have  not  the 
teaching  of  God.  Cry  night  and  day  for  the  inward  teaching  of  the 
Spirit.  "Every  man,  therefore,  that  hath  heard  and  hath  learned  of 
the  Father,  cometh  unto  me;"  and,  "Him  that  cometh  unto  me  I 
will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 

III.    The  sinfulness  of  not  coming  to  Jesus  Christ. 

The  words  of  Jesus  are  full  of  pathos — enough  to  break  the 
proudest  heart:  "Ye  will  not  come  to  me,  that  ye  might  have  life." 

1.  The  greatness  of  the  Saviour  shows  the  sinfulness  of  not 
coming  to  him.  He  is  the  eternal  Son  of  God,  whom  sinners  are 
despising.  John  bore  witness  of  him ;  his  miracles  bore  witness  to 
him ;  his  Father  bore  witness  of  him ;  the  Scriptures  on  every  page 
testify  of  him ;  yet  ye  will  not  come  to  him  that  ye  might  have  life. 
It  is  the  Son  of  God  that  hath  undertaken  the  doing  and  dying  in 
the  stead  of  sinners ;  and  yet  you,  a  trembling  sinner,  will  not  honor 
him  so  much  as  to  trust  your  soul  upon  his  finished  work.  Ah! 
how  shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so  great  a  salvation? 

2.  The  loveliness  of  the  Saviour  shows  the  sin  of  not  coming  to 
him.  Methinks  there  is  a  touch  of  heaven's  melody  in  these  words : 
"Ye  will  not  come  to  me."  I  know  not  whether  they  more  express 
the  high  indignation  of  an  insulted  Saviour  or  the  tender  compas- 
sion of  him  that  wept  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives  over  Jerusalem. 
It  is  as  if  he  said ;  I  have  left  the  bosom  of  the  Father  to  suffer  and 
bleed  and  die  for  sinners,  even  the  chief ;  yet,  O  sinner !  ye  will  not 
come  unto  me.  I  have  sought  the  lost  sheep  over  mountain  and 
hill;  I  have  stretched  out  my  hands  all  the  day  to  the  gainsaying 
and  disobedient ;  I  have  cried  after  sinners  and  wept  over  sinners ; 
and  yet  ye  will  not  come  to  me  that  ye  might  have  life.  Ah !  dear 
brethren,  if  sin  against  love  be  the  blackest  sin  under  the  blue  vault 


300  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

of  heaven,  this  is  your  sin,  because  ye  trample  under  foot  the  blood 
of  the  Son  of  God  and  do  despite  unto  the  gentle  Spirit  of  grace. 

3.  The  very  anxiety  of  some  sinners  increases  their  sin.  Some 
sinners  are  very  anxious  about  their  souls  yet  will  not  come  to 
Jesus  Christ.  They  are  in  search  of  a  saviour,  but  they  will  not 
have  Jesus  Christ.  Are  there  not  some  of  you  who  would  do  any- 
thing else  to  be  saved :  "Will  the  Lord  be  pleased  with  thousands 
of  rams,  or  with  tens  of  thousands  of  rivers  of  oil?  Shall  I  give 
my  first-born  for  my  transgression,  the  fruit  of  my  body  for  the 
sin  of  my  soul?"  If  we  would  bid  you  pray  and  weep,  you  would 
do  that ;  if  we  would  bid  you  fast  and  use  the  shirt  of  hair,  you 
would  do  that ;  if  we  would  bid  you  afflict  your  soul  and  body,  and 
make  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land,  you  would  do  that ;  if  we  would 
bid  you  live  as  monks  and  nuns,  you  would  do  that,  as  thousands 
are  doing  this  day ;  but  when  we  say,  Come  to  Christ,  ah !  you  will 
not  do  that.  Ah !  proud,  sinful,  self-ruining  heart,  you  would  choose 
any  balm  but  the  Balm  of  Gilead,  any  saviour  but  the  Son  of  God. 

Oh !  that  these  words  of  the  sweet  Saviour,  whom  you  thus  de- 
spise, would  pierce  to  the  very  bottom  of  your  soul.  "Ye  will  not 
come  to  me,  that  ye  might  have  life." 


SIN  LAID  ON  JESUS 

By  Rev.  Charles  H.  Spurgeon 
(Born  June  19,  1834) 

Text  :  "All  we  like  sheep  have  gone  astray;  we  have  turned  every 
one  to  his  own  way;  and  the  Lord  hath  laid  en  him  the  iniquity  of 
us  all"  Isaiah  53  :  6. 

The  verse  opens  with  a  confession  of  sin  common  to  all  the  per- 
sons intended  in  the  verse.  "We  have  turned  every  one  to  his  own 
way"  in  a  confession  importing  that  each  man  had  sinned  against 
light  peculiar  to  himself,  or  sinned  with  an  aggravation  which  he  at 
least  could  not  perceive  in  his  fellow.  This  confession  being  thus 
general  and  particular  has  many  other  traits  of  excellence  about  it 
of  which  we  cannot  just  now  speak.  It  is  very  unreserved.  You 
will  observe  that  there  is  not  a  single  syllable  by  way  of  excuse ;  there 
is  not  a  word  to  detract  from  the  force  of  the  confession.  It  is, 
moreover,  singularly  thoughtful,  for  thoughtless  persons  do  not  use 
a  metaphor  so  appropriate  as  the  text :  "All  we  like  sheep  have  gone 
astray,"  like  a  creature  wise  enough  to  find  the  gap  in  the  hedge  by 
which  to  escape,  but  so  silly  as  to  have  no  propensity  or  desire  to 
return  to  the  place  from  which  it  had  perversely  wandered.  I  like 
the  confession  of  the  text  because  it  is  a  giving  up  of  all  pleas 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  3Q1 

of  self-righteousness.  It  is  the  declaration  of  a  body  of  men  who 
are  guilty,  consciously  guilty;  guilty  with  aggravations,  guilty  with- 
out excuse ;  and  here  they  all  stand  with  their  weapons  of  rebellion 
broken  in  pieces,  saying  unanimously,  "All  we  like  sheep  have  gone 
astray;  we  have  turned  every  one  to  his  own  way." 

I  hear  no  dolorous  wailings  attending  this  confession  of  sin ;  for 
the  next  sentence  makes  it  almost  a  song.  "The  Lord  hath  laid  on 
him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."  It  is  the  most  grievous  sentence  of  the 
three ;  but  it  is  the  most  charming  and  most  full  of  comfort.  Strange 
is  it  that  where  misery  was  concentrated  mercy  reigned,  and  where 
sorrow  reached  her  climax  there  is  it  that  a  weary  soul  finds  sweet- 
est rest.    The  Saviour  bruised  is  the  healing  of  bruised  hearts. 

I  want  now  to  draw  the  hearts  of  all  who  feel  the  confession  to 
the  blessed  doctrine  set  forth  in  the  text :  the  Lord  hath  laid  on 
Christ  the  iniquity  of  us  all. 

We  shall  take  the  text  first  by  way  of  exposition;  then  by  way 
of  application;  and  we  shall  conclude  with  serious,  and  I  hope 
profitable,  contemplation. 

I.    First,  let  us  consider  the  text  by  way  of  exposition. 

1.  It  may  be  well  to  give  the  marginal  translation  of  the  text, 
"Jehovah  hath  made  to  meet  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."  The 
first  thought  that  demands  notice  is  the  meeting  of  sin.  Sin  I  may 
compare  to  the  rays  of  some  evil  sun.  God,  as  it  were,  holds  up  a 
burning  glass,  and  concentrates  all  the  scattered  rays  in  a  focus  upon 
Christ.  That  seems  to  be  the  thought  of  the  text,  "The  Lord  hath 
focused  upon  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."  Or  take  the  text  in  our 
own  version,  "The  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all;" 
put  upon  him,  as  a  burden  is  laid  upon  a  man's  back,  all  the  burdens 
of  all  his  people;  put  upon  his  head,  as  the  high  priest  of  old  laid 
upon  the  scapegoat  all  the  sin  of  the  beloved  ones,  that  he  might 
bear  them  in  his  own  person.  The  two  translations  you  see  are 
perfectly  consistent;  all  sins  are  made  to  meet,  and  then  having 
met  together  and  been  tied  up  in  one  crushing  load  the  whole  burden 
is  laid  upon  him. 

2.  The  second  thought  is  that  sin  was  made  to  meet  upon  the 
sufTering  person  of  the  innocent  substitute.  I  have  said  "the  suf- 
fering person"  because  the  connection  of  the  text  requires  it.  "He 
was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniqui- 
ties ;  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him,  and  with  his 
stripes  we  are  healed."  It  is  in  connection  with  this,  and  as  an  ex- 
planation of  all  his  grief,  that  it  is  added,  "The  Lord  hath  laid  on 
him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  would  have  been 
incapable  of  receiving  the  sin  of  all  his  people  as  their  substitute 
had  he  been  himself  a  sinner :  but  he  was,  as  to  his  own  divine  na- 
ture, worthy  to  be  hymned  as  "Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  of 
Sabaoth;"  and,  as  to  his  human  nature,  he  was  by  miraculous  con- 


302  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

ception  free  from  all  original  sin,  and  in  the  holiness  of  his  life  he 
was  such  that  he  was  the  spotless  Lamb  of  God,  without  spot,  or 
wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing,  and  therefore  he  was  on  all  accounts 
capable  of  standing  in  the  room,  place,  and  stead  of  sinful  men. 

3.  It  has  been  asked,  Was  it  just  that  sin  should  thus  be  laid 
upon  Christ?  Our  reply  is  fourfold.  We  believe  it  was  rightly  so, 
first,  because  it  was  the  act  of  him  who  must  do  right,  for  "the 
Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."  Remember,  more- 
over, that  Jesus  Christ  voluntarily  took  this  sin  upon  himself.  It 
was  not  forced  upon  him. 

But  I  would  have  you  remember,  beloved,  that  there  was  a  re- 
lationship between  our  Lord  and  his  people,  which  is  too  often  for- 
gotten, but  which  rendered  it  natural  that  he  should  bear  the  sin 
of  his  people.  Why  does  the  text  speak  of  our  sinning  like  sheep? 
I  think  it  is  because  it  would  call  to  our  recollection  that  Christ  is 
our  Shepherd.  Yet  there  is  a  fourth  consideration  that  may  re- 
move the  difficulty  of  sin  being  laid  upon  Christ.  It  is  not  only  that 
God  laid  it  there,  that  Jesus  voluntarily  took  it,  and  moreover  was 
in  such  a  union  with  his  church  that  it  was  natural  that  he  should 
take  it,  but  you  must  remember  that  this  plan  of  salvation  is  pre- 
cisely similar  to  the  method  of  our  ruin.  If  we  grant  the  fall, — and 
we  must  grant  the  fact,  however  we  may  dislike  the  principle, — we 
cannot  think  it  unjust  that  God  should  give  us  a  plan  of  salvation 
based  upon  the  same  principle  of  federal  headship.  At  any  rate  we, 
accepting  the  principle  of  the  federal  headship  in  the  fall,  joyfully 
receive  it  as  to  the  restoration  of  Christ  Jesus.  It  seems  right,  then, 
on  these  four  grounds,  that  the  Lord  should  make  the  sins  of  all 
his  people  to  meet  upon  Christ. 

4.  I  beg  you  to  observe  in  the  fourth  place,  that  laying  upon 
Christ  brought  upon  him  all  the  consequences  connected  with  it. 
God  cannot  look  where  there  is  sin  with  any  pleasure,  and  though 
as  far  as  Jesus  is  personally  concerned,  he  is  the  Father's  beloved 
Son  in  whom  he  is  well  pleased ;  yet  when  he  saw  sin  laid  upon  his 
Son,  he  made  that  Son  cry,  "My  God !  my  God !  why  hast  thou  for- 
saken me  ?"  To  crown  all  there  came  death  itself ;  death  is  the 
punishment  for  sin.  "He  became  obedient  to  death,  even  to  the 
death  of  the  cross." 

II.    Let  us  come  briefly  to  the  application. 

A  friend  now  puts  a  question  to  you.  There  is  a  countless  com- 
pany whose  sins  the  Lord  Jesus  bore ;  did  he  bear  yours  ?  Do  you 
wish  to  have  an  answer?  Are  you  unable  to  give  one?  Let  me 
read  this  verse  to  you  and  see  if  you  can  join  in  it.  I  do  not  mean 
join  in  it  saying,  "That  is  true,"  but  feeling  that  it  is  true  in  your 
own  soul.  "All  we  like  sheep  have  gone  astray,  we  have  turned 
every  one  to  his  own  way,  and  the  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the 
iniquity  of  us  all."     If  there  be  in  you  this  morning  a  penitential 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  303 

confession  which  leads  you  to  acknowledge  that  you  have  erred 
and  strayed  like  a  lost  sheep,  if  there  be  in  you  a  personal  sense 
of  sin  which  makes  you  feel  that  you  have  turned  to  your  own  way, 
and  if  now  you  can  trust  in  Jesus,  then  the  Lord  hath  laid  on  him 
your  iniquity. 

III.    Now  consecrate  a  few  minutes  to  hallowed  contemplation. 

You  do  not  want  talk,  you  want  thought:  I  will  give  you  four 
things  to  think  of. 

1.  The  first  is  the  astounding  mass  of  sin  that  must  have  been 
laid  on  Christ.  All  the  sins  against  light  and  knowledge,  sins  against 
law  and  gospel,  week-day  sins,  Sabbath  sins,  hand  sins,  lip  sins, 
heart  sins,  sins  against  the  Father,  sins  against  the  Son,  sins  against 
the  Holy  Ghost,  sins  of  all  shapes,  all  laid  upon  him ;  can  you  get  the 
thought  now? 

2.  The  next  subject  I  offer  you  for  contemplation  is  this,  the 
amazing  love  of  Jesus  which  brought  him  to  all  this.  Remember 
Paul's  way  of  putting  it,  "Scarcely  for  a  righteous  (or  strictly  just) 
man  will  one  die;  peradventure  for  a  good  (or  benevolent)  man  one 
might  even  dare  to  die;  but  God  commendeth  his  love  towards  us  in 
that,  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  in  due  time,  Christ  died  for  the 
ungodly."  When  Christ  has  renewed  us  by  his  Spirit,  there  may  be 
a  temptation  to  imagine  that  some  excellency  in  us  won  the  Saviour's 
heart,  but,  my  brethren,  you  must  understand  that  Christ  died  for 
us  while  we  were  yet  sinners. 

3.  Wonder  of  wonders  that  I  need  another  minute  to  set  you 
thinking  on  another  subject,  the  matchless  security  which  this  plan 
of  salvation  offers.  I  do  not  see  in  what  point  that  man  is  vulner- 
able who  can  feel  and  know  that  Christ  has  borne  his  sin.  How 
grandly  does  the  apostle  put  it !  It  seems  to  me  as  if  he  never  was 
worked  up  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  such  a  pitch  of  eloquence  as  when 
speaking  about  the  death  and  resurrection  of  the  Saviour,  he  pro- 
pounds that  splendid  question,  "Who  shall  lay  anything  to  the 
charge  of  God's  elect?"  There,  where  eternal  justice  sits  upon  a 
flaming  throne,  the  apostle  gazes  with  eye  undimmed  into  the  in- 
effable splendor,  and  though  some  one  seems  to  say,  "The  Judge 
will  condemn,"  he  replied,  "Who  shall  lay  anything  to  the  charge  of 
God's  elect?    It  is  God  that  justifieth." 

4.  Lastly,  I  desire  to  give  you  as  a  subject  for  contemplation,  and 
I  pray  you  do  not  forget  it,  this  question :  What  then  are  the  claims 
of  Jesus  Christ  upon  you  and  upon  me?  Napoleon  singularly 
enough  had  power  to  get  the  hearts  of  men  twisted  and  twined  about 
him ;  when  he  was  in  his  wars  there  were  many  of  his  captains  and 
even  of  his  private  soldiers,  who  not  only  marched  with  the  quick 
obedience  of  a  soldier  wherever  they  were  bidden,  but  who  felt  an 
enthusiasm  for  him.  Have  you  never  heard  of  him  who  threw  him- 
self in  the  way  of  the  shot  to  receive  it  in  his  bosom  to  save  the 


304  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

Emperor?  No  obedience,  no  law  could  have  required  that  of  him, 
but  enthusiastic  love  moved  him  to  it ;  and  it  is  such  enthusiasm 
that  my  Master  deserves  in  the  very  highest  degree  from  us.  What 
shall  I  do  for  my  Master?  What  shall  I  do  for  my  Lord?  How 
shall  I  set  him  forth?  My  brethren  and  sisters,  my  highest  aim 
before  God,  next  to  the  conversion  of  the  unconverted  among  you, 
is  this,  that  you  who  do  love  Christ  may  really  love  him  and  act 
as  if  you  did.  Contribute  of  your  substance  to  the  common  work 
of  the  church,  and  do  that  constantly,  and  as  a  matter  of  delight. 
Do  something  for  yourself,  speak  for  Christ  yourself,  have  some 
work  in  hand  on  your  own  account.  O  Christian,  by  the  blood  of 
Jesus  devote  yourself  to  him  again!  In  the  old  Roman  battles  it 
sometimes  happened  that  the  strife  seemed  dubious,  and  a  captain 
inspired  by  superstitious  patriotism  would  stand  upon  his  sword 
and  devote  himself  to  destruction  for  the  good  of  his  country,  and 
then,  according  to  those  old  legends,  the  battle  always  turned.  Now, 
men  and  brethren,  sisters,  every  one  of  you  who  have  tasted  that 
the  Lord  is  gracious,  devote  yourselves  this  day  to  live,  to  die,  to 
spend,  and  to  be  spent  for  King  Jesus. 


FAITH 
By  Rev.  A.  B.  Earle,  D.D. 
Text  :  "Have  faith  in  God."    Mark  11 :  22. 

Faith  is  a  persuasion  of  the  mind,  resting  upon  evidence.  Faith 
must  have  a  basis  to  rest  upon ;  we  cannot  have  faith  in  the  absence 
of  evidence.  God  never  asks  any  one  to  believe  anything  without 
furnishing  a  basis  for  that  belief.  Does  he  ask  us  to  believe  in  his 
own  existence,  he  opens  the  great  volume  of  nature,  and  bids  us  look 
up.  Does  he  require  us  to  receive  the  Scriptures  as  divinely  in- 
spired, they  bear  in  themselves  the  evidence  of  their  divine  origin. 
Does  he  bid  us  come  to  him  in  prayer,  he  furnishes  us  with  daily 
answers  to  prayer. 

Some  persons  have  faith  in  appearances ;  that  is,  they  believe  they 
are  going  to  have  a  revival  of  religion  because  there  is  a  general 
solemnity  and  seriousness  in  the  community.  This  is  not  faith  in 
God,  but  in  appearances.  Withdraw  these  indications,  and  faith 
has  nothing  to  rest  upon.  To  true  faith  in  God  the  darkness  and  the 
light  are  both  alike. 

We  hear  others  say  they  have  faith  to  believe  they  would  have  a 
glorious  revival  could  they  secure  the  labors  of  a  favorite  minister. 
This  is  faith  in  a  minister  or  measure — not  in  God.  Get  your  minis- 
ter, if  in  your  judgment  he  would  do  you  good,  but  let  your  faith 
anchor  in  God  and  his  promises. 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  305 

As  faith  must  have  a  basis  to  rest  upon,  let  us  see  what  ground 
we  have  to  expect  an  immediate  revival  of  religion,  and  souls  to  be 
converted  to  God,  if  we  go  on  with  this  meeting,  and  preach,  and 
pray,  and  exhort,  and  sing,  and  visit. 

I.  God  appointed  these  means  to  effect  this  end. 

God,  who  cannot  make  a  mistake,  and  who  knows  all  about  the 
difficulties  to  be  overcome  in  a  dark,  cold  time,  bids  us  go  and 
preach,  pray,  exhort,  and  sing  in  simple  faith,  and  he  will  bless. 

No  matter  how  dark,  or  cold,  or  dead, — we  are  to  look  for  an  im- 
mediate outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  in  the  use  of  these  means.  I  have 
come  to  believe  that  God  means  just  what  he  says  in  his  Word,  and 
I  expect  an  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  whenever  and  wherever  the 
means  are  used  in  faith. 

If  God  had  told  me  to  go  into  your  graveyard  and  sing  "Old 
Hundred"  among  the  graves,  and  that  by  this  means  the  dead  would 
be  raised,  I  would  come  to  one  and  another  of  you,  and  ask  if  you 
had  any  friends  in  that  graveyard ;  and  if  so,  to  get  ready  to  receive 
them — they  were  going  to  be  raised.  Perhaps  you  would  ask  me, 
"Can  you  raise  the  dead  ?"  I  should  answer,  "Not  at  all ;  but  God 
has  sent  me  to  sing  'Old  Hundred'  among  the  graves,  and  says 
through  this  means  he  will  raise  the  dead."  I  should  expect  to  see 
the  graves  open,  and  the  dead  come  forth.  My  faith  would  not 
rest  in  any  power  of  yours  or  mine,  but  in  the  fact  that  God  ap- 
pointed this  means  to  effect  this  end. 

Just  so  when  Jesus  says,  "Go  preach  my  word,  and,  lo !  I  am  with 
you,  and  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  you,"  we  should  expect  him 
to  do  it.  I  do  expect  it ;  I  have  not  one  fear  but  that  we  shall  have 
a  glorious  result,  if  we  use  these  means  in  faith  in  this  place. 

Moses  had  faith  in  God,  when  he  lifted  the  brazen  serpent  to  the 
bitten  Israelites ;  his  faith  was  not  in  the  piece  of  brass,  nor  in  his 
own  power  to  heal,  but  in  the  fact  that  God  had  appointed  that  piece 
of  brass  thereby  to  make  his  power  known.  As  Moses  lifted  that 
piece  of  brass  in  the  wilderness,  so  must  Jesus  be  lifted  to  the  view 
of  lost  men. 

We  can  have  faith  in  God,  in  using  these  means,  then,  because  he 
appointed  them  to  effect  this  end. 

II.  Another  strong  ground  for  faith  in  God,  in  using  these 
means,  to  expect  an  immediate  revival  of  religion,  is,  that  God's 
heart  and  hand  are  in  this  work. 

God  felt  so  deeply  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  before  we  cared  any- 
thing about  it,  that  he  gave  his  own  Son  to  die  for  them. 

God  sees  the  end  from  the  beginning,  and  tries  no  experiment — 
has  all  necessary  resources  of  providence  and  grace;  so  that  we  can 
follow  where  he  leads,  with  unwavering  faith. 

How  often  does  some  providence  occur  that  is  made  the  means 
of  a  powerful  work  of  grace.    In  one  part  of  Maine,  nine  churches 


3o6  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

united  in  asking  me  to  assist  them  in  a  series  of  union  meetings; 
but  before  I  reached  the  place,  death  had  taken  one  of  the  pastors, 
almost  instantly,  out  of  the  world.  This  pastor  had  drawn  off  the 
names  of  more  than  twenty  persons,  whom  he  was  going  to  seek, 
at  once,  to  bring  to  the  Saviour.  One  day,  with  these  names  in  his 
pocket,  he  went  to  the  post-office,  and  died  before  reaching  his  home 
again.  The  effect  was  so  great  upon  his  congregation  and  the  com- 
munity, that  it  was  necessary  to  commence  meetings  at  once;  and, 
when  I  reached  the  place,  more  than  a  hundred  persons  were  anx- 
ious about  their  souls. 

While  I  was  holding  a  series  of  meetings  in ,  N.  Y.,  one 

evening  a  lady  was  passing  near  the  church  door,  and  one  of  the 
sisters  asked  her  to  come  in,  saying,  "We  are  having  good  meetings 
here;  quite  a  revival  has  commenced,  and  I  would  like  to  have  you 
attend  some  of  these  interesting  services."  The  lady  replied,  "Do 
you  think  I  would  go  into  such  a  meeting — a  revival  meeting?  No, 
never!"  This  lady  went  on  home,  scorning  the  meeting  and  re- 
ligion. A  day  or  two  after  this  she  was  passing  that  church  door 
again  while  the  congregation  were  singing  one  of  their  sweet  re- 
vival hymns.  The  notes  went  through  the  open  door  and  reached 
her  ear.  She  paused,  and  said,  "That  sounds  good."  The  same 
sister  who  had  invited  her  in  before,  again  at  the  door,  said  "Come 
in  and  hear  more."  She  replied,  "I  am  too  proud  to  sit  down  in  a 
meeting-house,  unless  I  can  own  a  seat."  The  sister  told  her  she 
might  have  their  seat,  which  could  be  emptied  for  her  at  once.  This 
was  done,  and  the  lady  spent  the  rest  of  the  evening  in  our  meeting  ; 
her  heart  was  deeply  moved.  Within  one  short  week  this  lady  and 
her  husband  were  both  rejoicing  in  a  Saviour's  love.  Very  soon 
both  united  with  that  church.  So  we  see  that  God  here  blessed  the 
songs  of  praise  to  the  salvation  of  souls. 

One  of  the  greatest  victories  ever  won  by  Jehoshaphat  was  won 
by  singing.  "And  when  he  had  consulted  with  the  people,  he  ap- 
pointed singers  unto  the  Lord,  and  that  should  praise  the  beauty  of 
holiness  as  they  went  out  before  the  army,  and  to  say,  Praise  the 
Lord;  for  his  mercy  endureth  forever.  And  when  they  began  to 
sing  and  praise,  .  .  .  (their  enemies)  were  smitten."  2  Chron. 
20 :  21,  22. 

We  find,  then,  as  in  all  ages,  God  blessed  his  people  when  they 
sung  his  praise. 

I  would  urge  all  who  desire  to  promote  revivals  of  religion,  and 
to  lead  men  to  Jesus,  to  have  the  best  singing  you  can  in  all  your 
meetings.  Sing  with  life  and  spirit.  God  appointed  singing,  and 
will  bless  it.     Have  faith  in  God. 

How  often  we  see  a  whole  community  moved  by  the  power  of  a 
little  prayer  meeting.  Peter  was  brought  out  of  prison,  while  the 
church  were  praying  in  the  house  of  Mary,  the  mother  of  John. 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  307 

Let  the  "nothing-wavering"  prayer  be  offered,  and  it  cannot 
fail. 

Have  faith  in  God  when  you  pray,  for  he  appointed  these  means 
to  effect  this  end.  "Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you ;  seek,  and  ye 
shall  find;  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you;"  but  let  it  be 
done  in  faith. 

III.  God  has  always  blessed  these  means,  when  they  have  been 
used  in  faith.  None  ever  knew  a  failure,  except  when  faith  was 
lacking. 

The  walls  of  Jericho  fell  down  after  they  had  been  compassed 
about  in  faith ;  yet  I  presume  many  of  those  who  went  round  those 
walls,  like  many  church  members  now,  had  no  faith  in  God,  but 
marched  with  those  that  had. 

God  honors  all  the  faith  he  finds  in  his  people.  I  would  advise  all 
to  use  what  faith  they  have,  for  in  this  way  faith  grows — it  is 
strengthened  by  use.  Just  as  David's  faith,  after  he  had  rescued  the 
lamb  from  the  mouth  of  the  lion,  and  the  paw  of  the  bear,  became 
so  strong  he  believed  he  could  kill  Goliath. 

Naaman,  the  Syrian,  went  into  the  Jordan  to  wash  seven  times, 
with  very  great  unbelief  (yet  he  must  have  had  a  little  faith,  or  he 
would  not  have  gone  at  all)  ;  but,  after  the  wonderful  cure,  he  went 
home  with  strong  faith.  He  found  God's  word  reliable.  God  al- 
ways blesses  the  use  of  the  means  he  has  appointed,  when  used  in 
faith ;  and  he  blesses  in  proportion  to  the  strength  of  our  faith. 

When  Ezekiel  preached  to  the  dry  bones,  there  was  nothing  re- 
markable in  his  sermon  or  manner  of  presenting  the  truth,  but  sim- 
ply in  his  faith  in  God.  His  faith  did  not  rest  in  any  wonderful 
skill,  or  power  in  preaching,  nor  in  any  favorable  appearances,  but 
in  God.  He  would  do  just  what  God  directed  him  to  do,  knowing 
that  God  could  not  make  a  mistake,  and  that  he  was  able  to  do  just 
as  he  promised.  So,  standing  up  among  the  bones, — dried,  and 
bleached,  and  scattered  as  they  were, — Ezekiel  began  to  cry,  "Dry 
bones,  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord !  Dry  bones,  live !  Dry  bones, 
come  together !"  Power  accompanied  the  means  God  appointed, 
and  bone  came  to  his  fellow-bone,  and  they  were  clothed  with  flesh 
and  sinews.  But  the  breath  of  life  was  not  yet  in  them.  Then  fol- 
lowed prayer,  or  calling  on  the  wind  to  blow  upon  the  slain.  The 
breath  of  life  entered  into  them,  and  there  stood  upon  their  feet  an 
army  of  men.  By  this  figure  Ezekiel  was  shown  how  God  saves 
sinners. 

As  Ezekiel  went  among  those  dry  bones  and  preached  to  them, 
and  called  on  the  wind  to  blow  upon  them,  and  they  lived,  so  Chris- 
tians must  go  among  wicked  men,  and  preach  and  pray,  and  use 
the  means  God  has  appointed,  in  faith,  and  he  will  bless  these 
means,  and  save  souls,  and  build  up  his  church. 

Perhaps  some  one  will  ask  why  God  does  not  bless  the  labors  of 


3o8  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

all  his  ministers,  alike,  in  the  conversion  of  souls.  It  is  because 
they  do  not  expect  it.  They  hope  God  will  bless  their  labors ;  they 
pray  him  to  do  it ;  they  really  desire  it,  but  do  not  in  faith,  without 
wavering,  expect  it.  Faith  is  as  necessary  here,  as  is  fire  to  produce 
heat.  Persons  may  perish  in  the  cold  surrounded  with  good  fuel, 
for  the  want  of  fire  to  kindle  it ;  so  men  can  go  down  to  death  under 
the  ablest  presentation  of  truth,  just  for  the  want  of  faith  in  God 
on  the  part  of  the  preacher  and  those  that  hear.  So  important  is 
faith  in  God,  that  Jesus  said  to  the  anxious  around  him,  "Only  be- 
lieve."   "All  things  are  possible  to  him  that  believeth." 

Let  me  mention  an  incident  or  two  that  have  greatly  strengthened 
my  faith.  A  few  years  ago,  in  a  ministers'  conference,  the  text  for 
criticism  was,  "Is  not  the  set  time  to  favor  Zion  come?"  Among 
other  questions  raised,  was  this :  "Is  it  perfectly  safe  for  a  minister 
to  commence  a  series  of  meetings  in  a  church  or  community  where 
there  are  no  indications  of  a  revival  of  religion?  Ought  he  to  go  to 
work  expecting  an  immediate  outpouring  of  the  Spirit?"  I  had 
just  begun,  as  it  were,  to  believe  God,  and  take  him  at  his  word, 
and,  with  several  others,  said,  "It  is  safe."  In  a  few  days  I  com- 
menced a  series  of  meetings  in  a  little  church  of  about  twenty 
members,  who  were  very  cold  and  dead,  and  much  divided — the  only 
green  spot  being  a  little  prayer-meeting,  kept  up  by  two  or  three 
sisters.  I  preached  the  first  evening,  and  closed  the  meeting  at  eight 
o'clock.  There  was  not  one  to  speak  or  pray.  I  succeeded  the  next 
evening  in  getting  one  brother  to  say  a  few  words,  and  closed  again 
about  eight  o'clock,  but  said  to  the  people,  "We  will  go  on  with  the 
meeting."  All  around  looked  dark,  but  to  the  eye  of  faith  the  dark- 
ness and  the  light  are  both  alike. 

The  next  morning  I  rode  six  miles,  to  a  minister's  study,  to  get 
him  to  pray  with  and  for  me.  We  both  kneeled  at  the  same 
chair  and  prayed,  feeling  and  believing  that  faith  in  God  could  not 
be  disappointed.  I  went  back,  and  said  to  that  little  church,  "If 
you  can  just  make  out  to  board  me,  I  will  stay  with  you  until  God 
opens  the  windows  of  heaven.  God  has  promised  to  bless  these 
means,  and  I  believe  he  will."  I  trusted  it  all  to  Jesus,  and  went  to 
work ;  and  within  ten  days  there  were  so  many  anxious  souls,  that 
I  met  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  them  at  a  time  at  an  inquiry  meeting, 
while  Christians  were  praying  in  another  house  of  worship.  A 
powerful  work  of  grace  followed,  and  I  think  several  hundred  souls 
were  led  to  Jesus.    This  greatly  strengthened  my  faith  in  God. 

On  another  occasion  I  commenced  a  meeting  near  Boston,  and 
preached  the  first  evening  on  this  same  subject — Faith  in  God.  We 
had  a  pleasant  evening  and  a  large  assembly.  Everything  seemed 
favorable.  I  told  the  congregation  that  I  believed  we  should  have 
a  great  work,  and  they  must  provide  seats  for  the  aisles  of  the  meet- 
ing-house. 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  309 

The  very  next  day  a  terrible  snow-storm  came  on,  so  that  we 
were  shut  out  of  the  meeting-house  and  in  our  homes.  For  six 
successive  days  I  preached  in  a  private  parlor  at  my  boarding-place 
(which  was  only  a  few  rods  from  the  church)  to  ten  or  fifteen 
persons.  This  was  a  trial  of  my  faith ;  yet  I  knew  God  was  able  to 
fulfill  his  promises,  and  I  believed  he  would. 

About  the  seventh  day,  the  storm  being  over,  we  came  together 
again  in  the  meeting-house.  On  the  first  or  second  evening  one 
hundred  men  and  women  came  forward  for  prayer,  deeply  convicted. 
While  they  were  shut  up  at  home,  the  Spirit  of  God  had  been 
at  work  upon  their  hearts.  God  had  given  a  voice  to  the  howling 
winds,  and  moved  the  hearts  of  his  people  just  as  well  as  though  they 
had  gathered  in  his  house.  A  great  work  followed,  and  many  pre- 
cious souls  were  brought  to  Jesus. 

With  these  and  many  other  tests  of  God's  promises,  I  have  come 
to  believe  and  trust  him,  so  that  I  can  follow  where  he  leads. 

Let  me  ask  you  all  to  go  home  from  this  meeting,  to  preach,  and 
pray,  and  sing,  and  visit,  in  faith.  Do  all  you  can;  speak  to  all 
of  Jesus ;  but  rely  alone  on  God,  asking  and  expecting  great  things. 


THE  GREAT  SALVATION 

By  Rev.  T.  DeWitt  Talmage,  D.D. 
(Born  January  7,  1832) 

Text:  "How  shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so  great  salvation?" 
Hebrews  2 : 3. 

I  stand  before  you  to-night  borne  down  with  two  great  and  all- 
absorbing  desires :  one,  to  get  to  heaven  myself ;  the  other,  to  take 
all  these  people  along  with  me.  Who  knows  but  God  may  hear 
my  prayer,  and  that  all  swept  by  the  circle  of  those  walls  shall  within 
one  hour  be  inclosed  in  the  arms  of  a  pardoning  Jesus?  It  is  not 
time  for  argument,  for  you  mentally  accept  all  these  truths.  It 
is  no  time  for  philosophy,  for  it  is  your  hearts  we  want,  and  not 
your  heads.  It  is  no  time  for  poetry,  for  tulips  and  daffodils  will 
not  satisfy  those  who  are  famishing  for  bread.  The  oft-repeated 
prayer  of  Rowland  Hill,  in  the  midst  of  his  sermon,  is  my  prayer  at 
the  beginning :  "Master,  help !"  While  I  stand  here,  the  audience 
vanishes  from  my  vision,  and  it  is  the  world's  great  trial-day,  and 
the  books  are  opened.  O  my  Saviour !  if  I  do  not  speak  as  I  ought, 
what  will  become  of  me?  If  these  people  do  not  hear  as  they  ought, 
what  will  become  of  them?  "How  shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect 
so  great  salvation?" 

1.    Paul  was  right  when  he  called  it  great.     The  most  stupendous 


3io  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

undertaking  since  God  existed,  was  the  hoisting  of  this  world  out  of 
ruin.  It  had  made  shipwreck — going  down  with  all  hands  on  board. 
From  none  of  the  surrounding  worlds  did  a  life-boat  push  out. 
The  Lord  God  Almighty  rose  up,  and  bringing  into  action  all  the 
omniscience,  and  omnipotence,  and  majesty,  and  loving-kindness  of 
his  nature,  he  set  about  the  redemption  of  the  world.  John  Fred- 
erick Oberlin  put  off  all  earthly  comfort  to  redeem  a  barren  district 
of  France  from  poverty  and  ignorance,  with  his  own  pickaxe  begin- 
ning the  building  of  a  high-road  from  Ban  de  la  Roche  up  to  the 
city  of  Strasburg.  But  here  was  a  highway  to  be  constructed  from 
the  squalor  of  earth  to  the  heights  of  heaven.  Clarkson  pleaded 
before  the  English  Parliament  and  the  Russian  emperor,  against 
the  slave-trade.  But  here  was  the  question  of  deliverance  for  a 
hundred  thousand  millions  of  bondmen.  Ay !  it  was  the  pounding 
off  of  an  iron  chain  from  the  neck  of  a  captive  world. 

I  think  it  was  the  greatest  and  most  absorbing  thought  of  God's 
lifetime.  I  do  not  think  that  there  was  anything  in  all  the  ages 
of  the  past,  or  that  there  will  be  in  all  the  ages  of  the  future,  any- 
thing to  equal  it.  The  masterpiece  of  eternity !  There  were  so 
many  difficulties  to  be  overcome !  There  were  such  infinite  con- 
sequences to  be  considered !  There  were  such  gulfs  to  bridge,  and 
such  heights  to  scale,  and  such  immensities  to  compass !  If  God 
had  been  less  than  omnipotent,  he  would  not  have  been  strong 
enough ;  or  less  than  omniscient,  I  do  not  think  he  would  have 
been  wise  enough;  or  less  loving  would  have  been  sympathetic 
enough.  There  might  have  been  a  God  strong  enough  to  create  a 
universe,  and  yet  too  weak  to  do  this.  To  create  the  worlds,  only 
a  word  was  necessary;  but  to  do  this  work  required  more  than  a 
word.  It  required  more  than  ordinary  effort  of  a  God.  It  required 
the  dying  anguish  of  an  Only  Son.  Oh !  is  not  that  which  took  all 
the  height,  and  depth,  and  length,  and  immensity,  and  eternity,  of 
his  nature  to  achieve,  worthy  of  being  called  a  great  salvation? 

2.  Paul  was  right  when  he  called  this  salvation  great,  because 
it  was  founded  upon  a  great  sacrifice.  When  Elizabeth  Fry  went 
into  Newgate  Prison  to  redeem  the  abandoned,  she  was  told  to 
lay  off  her  purse  and  watch  lest  they  be  stolen,  but  refused,  saying 
that  confidence  in  the  criminals  would  be  one  way  of  touching 
them.  When  Christ  came  into  the  prison  of  this  world's  sin,  he 
brought  with  him  all  the  jewels  of  heavenly  affection  upon  him. 
If  a  host  of  angels  had  been  hurled  off  the  battlement,  they  would 
not  so  much  have  been  missed.  It  is  an  exciting  time  around  an 
old  homestead,  the  morning  the  son  leaves  home  to  go  away;  for 
they  know  not  what  will  happen,  or  whether  he  will  ever  return. 
What  a  morning  it  must  have  been  in  heaven  when  Jesus  left !  I 
think  all  heaven  hung  around  him — some  asking  him  not  to  go; 


JEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  311 

some  speaking  to  him  of  the  perils  by  the  way;  some  standing  in 
silent  grief  at  his  departure ;  and  when  the  cavalcade  for  Bethlehem 
dashed  up  to  the  golden  gate,  and  the  cry  was,  "All  ready!"  there 
was  a  warm  good-bye,  and  a  rain  of  tears  and  last  words  and  a 
scene  that  the  oldest  inhabitants  of  heaven  remember  now  as  though 
it  were  but  yesterday. 

During  our  last  war,  squadrons  went  out,  and  we  knew  nothing 
of  them  until  they  were  reported  off  shore,  and  landing  amidst  fiery 
assault  of  battle.  I  do  not  think  that  heaven  knew  for  what  shore 
Jesus  and  his  cohorts  were  bound  and  when  one  Christmas  night 
they  were  seen  off  the  shores  of  earth,  and  word  got  back  to  glory 
that  the  crusading  fleet  were  landing  amidst  storms  of  persecution, 
there  must  have  been  a  cry  of  amazement  in  heaven.  If  the  expe- 
dition had  steered  into  the  sun,  that  would  have  been  a  more  bril- 
liant landing-place;  or,  if  it  had  sailed  into  Jupiter,  that  would 
have  been  a  mightier  world.  But  no ;  they  chose  one  of  the  smallest 
worlds  in  God's  astronomy — a  little  world,  a  proud  world,  an  un- 
clean world,  a  defiant  world,  a  cruel  world,  a  dying  world,  a  dead 
world.     Was  not  this  salvation  great  in  its  humiliation? 

3.  So  also  was  this  redemption  great  in  its  sufferings.  It  is 
fortunate  that  we  can  not  foresee  our  trials.  If  that  man  who  last 
week  lost  his  property  could  have  known  for  ten  years  that  he  was 
going  to  become  bankrupt,  all  those  ten  years  would  have  been 
shadowed  with  trouble.  If  that  parent  who  last  year  lost  his  child 
had  known  for  ten  years  previously  that  he  would  lose  it,  for  ten 
years  that  parent  would  have  been  overshadowed.  Christ's  suffer- 
ings were  augmented  by  the  fact  that  he  foresaw  them.  For  thirty- 
three  years  he  was  dying.  The  last  horror  hung  over  him  at  the 
sea-side,  at  the  wedding,  and  everywhere.  He  knew  that  every 
pulse's  beating  took  him  nearer  to  the  last  throb  of  anguish.  He 
saw  the  walls  shutting  in  around  him,  the  circle  of  fire  contracting, 
the  vise  screwing  up.  When  he  flew  away  from  Herod,  he  knew 
that  at  last  he  would  be  captured.  He  went  into  court  knowing 
that  the  verdict  would  be  against  him.  There  was  an  upright  piece 
of  wood  and  a  transverse  piece  of  wood  that  hung  over  him  by 
day  and  by  night — the  shadow  of  a  cross. 

The  final  year  came.  It  was  his  birthday.  It  was  Christmas. 
He  was  thirty-two  years  old.  I  hear  him  saying,  "This  is  my  last 
year.  What  a  thirty-two  years !  Trouble  all  the  way !  Betrayed ! 
Cast  out !  Poor !  Full  of  pain !  But  a  few  more  months,  and  I 
will  go  up  to  my  death-hour.  The  tree  is  growing  on  which  I  shall 
be  spiked.  The  hammers  are  forged  that  will  some  day  smite  me 
fast.  The  military  are  drilled  for  my  execution."  My  hearers,  if 
Christ's  death  had  been  a  sudden  surprise,  it  would  not  have  been 
so  awful.     But  it  was  a  long-expected  anguish. 


312  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

That  last  hour  of  Christ  was  the  focus  to  which  the  woes  of  time 
and  of  eternity  converged.  Heaven  frowned  from  above.  Hell 
rode  up  from  beneath.  I  hear  the  click  of  the  hoofs  of  the  cavalry 
troop  as  they  ride  out  toward  the  fatal  hill.  I  hear  the  buzz,  and 
hum,  and  roar,  and  blasphemy  of  a  great  mob.  They  have  cornered 
him  at  last !  Put  those  women  out  of  the  way !  It  is  no  place 
for  women !  Do  not  let  his  mother  see  this !  Take  her  away ! 
This  spectacle  would  kill  her!  Put  out  all  the  candles  of  the  sky. 
The  spears  are  sharp,  and  they  plunge  them.  The  heavens  are 
burdened  with  woe,  and  they  thunder.  Unlifted  darkness — save 
as  a  flash  of  lightning  reveals  the  eye  of  God,  peering  through  the 
gloom  to  see  what  they  are  doing  with  his  well-beloved  Son.  Me- 
thinks  the  thrones  of  heaven  shiver  at  the  deed.  He  has  been  hang- 
ing there  five  hours  and  fifty  minutes.  What  next?  Whom  will 
the  Omnipotent  Sufferer  first  consume  with  his  curse  ?  Will  he  not 
take  his  right  hand  from  the  nail,  and  hurl  everlasting  fury  upon 
his  crucifiers  ?  Wait  a  moment.  Listen !  I  am  sure  he  will  speak ! 
Yes,  he  speaks :  "Father,  forgive  them.  They  know  not  what  they 
do." 

This  was  death  at  the  stake ;  but  the  fires  kindled  around  it  were 
the  flames  of  the  world's  hatred,  inwrapped  with  the  fiercer  fires  of 
eternal  woe — wreathing  feet,  hands,  eyes,  brain,  soul,  in  the  worst 
horror  that  ever  shuddered  through  God's  universe.  Was  not  this 
salvation  great  in  its  suffering? 

4.  This  redemption  was  also  great  in  its  pardon.  It  takes  all  the 
sins  of  a  life,  and  cuts  them  off  with  one  stroke,  so  that  all  the 
crimes  the  worst  man  ever  committed,  as  soon  as  he  takes  hold  of 
this  salvation,  are  gone  at  once,  utterly  and  forever.  Gone,  so  that 
you  can  not  find  them.  Gone,  so  that  the  light  of  the  judgment-day 
can  not  discover  them.  Says  some  one,  "Do  you  mean  to  say  that 
I  could  have  that  done  for  me?"  I  answer,  "Yes!"  "When?" 
Now !  Though  you  had  committed  fifty  murders,  though  your 
life  were  rotten  with  debauchery,  though  you  had  gone  through 
the  whole  catalogue  of  crimes,  I  announce  full  pardon  for  all  your 
sins  the  moment  you  take  hold  of  this  salvation. 

5.  This  redemption  is  great  in  its  final  deliverance.  There  is  a 
hell.  Rationalism  rules  it  out;  but  there  is  where  our  modern  es- 
sayists and  the  Bible  differ.  People  say  there  ought  not  to  be  a 
hell ;  but  there  is  where  modern  theologians  and  the  Lord  God  Al- 
mighty differ.  I  am  one  of  those  few  benighted  mortals  in  this 
day  who  take  the  whole  Bible.  "What!  you  do  not  believe  every- 
thing in  it  ?"  Everything !  Absolutely  everything !  "What !  that 
about  the  serpent  in  Eden?  and  the  sun  standing  still?  and  the 
whale  swallowed  Jonah?"  Everything!  I  believe  it  all  as  much 
as  I  do  in  my  own  existence.     "Well,  then,  you  can  not  have  read 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  313 

the  arguments  on  the  other  side."  Yes,  I  have;  read  them  day 
and  night;  read  them  by  the  year;  read  every  word  that  Tom 
Paine,  or  Theodore  Parker,  or  Renan  ever  wrote  on  the  subject; 
read  them  from  the  title-page  to  the  last  word,  of  the  last  line,  of 
the  last  page,  of  the  last  book;  read  them  until  it  is  only  through 
the  mercy  of  God  that  I  did  not  kill  my  soul  through  the  sin  of 
reading  them;  read  them  until  I  found  out  that  the  land  of  skepti- 
cism is  a  desert,  where  the  sands  are  red-hot  coals,  swept  by  the 
smothering  simoon  of  all-consuming  wretchedness;  read  them  until 
I  have  found  that  there  are  two  hells  instead  of  one — the  hell  of 
skepticism  and  the  hell  spoken  of  in  the  Bible;  and  I  believe  in 
the  last  because  it  is  the  more  tolerable. 

Come  to  my  house  some  time  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and 
I  will  show  you  fifty-four  passages  in  the  Bible,  all  positively  assert- 
ing that  there  is  such  a  place,  and  as  many  more  implying  it.  If 
I  do  not  believe  God  when  he  tells  me  a  thing  ten  times,  certainly 
I  will  when  he  tells  it  to  me  twenty  times.  If  I  do  not  believe  what 
he  has  asserted  twenty  times,  I  will  when  he  has  told  it  to  me  forty 
times.  But  if  I  doubt  him  the  fortieth  time,  certainly  when  he  an- 
nounces a  thing  to  me  the  fifty-fourth  time  I  had  better  accept  it. 
Paul  says,  "They  shall  be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord."  Luke  says,  "There  shall  be  weep- 
ing and  gnashing  of  teeth  when  ye  shall  see  Abraham,  and  Isaac, 
and  Jacob,  and  all  the  prophets  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  you 
yourself  thrust  out."  Christ,  who  ought  to  know,  says,  "And  these 
shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment."  It  is  not  more  certain 
that  there  is  a  city  called  Constantinople  or  Moscow  than  that  there 
is  a  great  metropolis  of  suffering ;  that  Satan  rules  over  it ;  that  there 
are  fires  that  can  not  be  put  out,  and  tears  that  ever  fall,  and  groans 
that  are  forever  uttered.  When  a  man  gets  into  that  place,  he 
never  gets  out. 

There  may  be  difference  of  opinion  about  the  exact  nature  of  that 
suffering.  You  may,  if  you  like,  discard  the  old-fashioned  notion 
of  fire,  but  the  Bible  in  many  places  says  that  the  suffering  is  like 
fire;  and  if  it  is  like  fire,  it  is  as  severe  as  fire;  and  if  it  is  as 
severe  as  fire,  it  might  as  well  be  fire.  You  say  that  it  is  mental 
torture,  and  not  physical.  But  you  know  that  mental  torture  is 
worse  than  physical.  So  the  style  of  suffering  that  you  believe 
in  is  far  more  intolerable  than  the  style  of  suffering  your  fathers 
and  mothers  used  to  believe  in. 

But  suppose  you  throw  overboard  most  of  the  testimony  on  this 
subject — is  there  not  some  slight  possibility  that  there  may  be  such 
a  place?  If  there  should  be,  and  you  have  no  preparation  to  escape 
it,  what  then?  A  young  woman,  dying,  said  to  her  father,  "Father, 
why  did  you  not  tell  me  there  was  such  a  place?"     "What  place?" 


3  H  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

"A  hell !"  He  said,  "Jenny,  there  is  no  such  place.  God  is  merci- 
ful. There  will  be  no  future  suffering!"  She  said,  "I  know  better! 
I  feel  it  now !  I  know  there  is  such  a  place !  My  feet  are  slipping 
into  it  this  moment !  I  am  lost !  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  there 
was  such  a  place?"  It  is  the  awful,  stupendous,  consuming,  in- 
controvertible fact  of  the  universe. 

Now,  is  not  a  salvation  that  keeps  down  the  hatches  so  that  these 
flames  can  not  scorch  us,  and  that  muzzles  these  lions  so  that  their 
teeth  can  not  touch  us,  worthy  of  being  called  a  great  salvation? 
Every  one  may  escape  it.  God  never  puts  a  man  in  perdition.  He 
puts  himself  there.  If  you  have  a  great  fire  on  your  farm  in  which 
you  are  consuming  a  large  amount  of  rubbish,  and  I  deliberately 
rush  into  it  and  get  burned,  who  is  to  blame?  Myself.  God  has 
told  us  there  is  a  place  of  burning.  He  makes  for  us  every  possi- 
bility of  escaping  it.  If  deliberately  and  of  our  own  choice  we 
dash  in,  upon  whom  comes  the  responsibility  ?  Answer !  Your 
conscience  has  answered ! 

6.  This  salvation  is  great  in  its  consummation.  It  does  not  leave 
a  man  shivering  and  half  starved  on  the  outskirts  of  a  fine  city, 
but  gives  him  citizenship  in  the  great  capital  of  the  Almighty.  The 
Bible  says  that  one  day  an  angel  went  out  and  measured  heaven. 
He  took  a  golden  rod.  I  see  that  rod  flashing  in  the  light  of  the 
sun  that  never  sets.  With  it  the  angel  measures  all  along  by  the 
gates,  all  along  by  the  towers,  and  all  along  by  the  foundations — 
a  hundred  miles,  five  hundred  miles,  a  thousand  miles,  fifteen  hun- 
dred miles  around — so  the  Bible  intimates.  What  a  city !  London 
and  New  York  are  villages  compared  with  it.  Though  the  ac- 
count be  figurative,  what  a  heaven  God  has  ready  for  us !  But 
that  heaven  spoken  of  in  the  Bible  was  heaven  before  the  improve- 
ments. It  is  a  grander  place  now ;  for  the  great  and  good  souls 
of  the  last  eighteen  hundred  years  have  gone  in  since  then.  Ex- 
cepting Jesus,  the  best  part  of  our  heaven  has  been  made  up  within 
the  last  thirty  years,  since  our  friends  have  been  going  in. 

In  the  great  park  of  the  universe  we  may  walk;  and  we  shall 
want  not  one  thing  for  all  eternity.  No  sickness  will  pale  the  cheek. 
No  discord  will  strike  the  ear.  No  shadow  will  darken  the  path, 
save  under  the  palm-trees  through  which  sifts  the  golden  light  of 
eternal  summer.     Jesus  will  be  there ;  and  all  the  good  will  be  there. 

0  land  of  light,  and  love,  and  joy!  A  land  where  the  redeemed 
of  the  Lord  come  with  songs  upon  their  heads.     A  land  where — 

1  fail!  I  break  down  under  the  thought!  I  can  not  express  it! 
"Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  hath  it  entered  into 
the  heart  of  man  the  things  that  God  hath  prepared  for  those  who 
love  him."  Is  not  a  salvation  that  opens  such  a  gate,  and  rouses 
such  an  anthem,  and  consummates  such  a  friendship,  a  great  salva- 
tion? 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  315 

7.  Now,  are  you  ready  for  the  apostle's  question?  Are  you  all 
ready?  In  the  light  .of  this  salvation — so  great  in  its  Author,  so 
great  in  its  humiliations,  so  great  in  its  sacrifices,  so  great  in  its 
pardon,  so  great  in  its  final  deliverance,  so  great  in  its  consumma- 
tions— the  question  bursts,  crackles,  and  thunders  upon  our  ears : 
"How  shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so  great  salvation?" 

No  escape  at  all !  For  the  man  who  neglects  it  there  is  no 
possibility  of  excuse  or  rescue.  Everything  will  plead  against  him. 
The  waters  will  hiss  from  the  fountains,  and  say,  "We  told  him  of 
the  living  stream  where  he  might  wash  all  his  sins  away,  but  he 
would  not  come.  Escape  he  must  not!"  The  rocks  will  say, 
"We  told  him  of  a  shelter  and  defense  to  which  he  might  run  and 
be  saved ;  but  he  would  not  come.  Escape  he  must  not !"  The  sun 
in  the  sky  will  say,  "We  told  him  of  the  light  of  the  world  and  of 
the  dayspring  from  on  high  but  he  shut  his  eyes  to  the  glory.  Es- 
cape he  must  not !"  The  star  will  say,  "I  pointed  to  his  only  hope — 
the  Jesus  of  Bethlehem;  but  he  would  not  look  and  be  saved.  Es- 
cape he  must  not!"  The  Bible  will  say,  "I  called  him  by  a  thou- 
sand invitations,  and  warned  him  with  a  thousand  alarms;  but  he 
would  not  heed;  he  would  not  listen.  Escape  he  must  not!"  The 
tree  of  Calvary  will  say,  "On  my  bloody  branch  I  bore  the  fruit 
that  might  have  fed  his  starving  soul ;  but  he  would  not  pluck  it. 
Escape  he  must  not !"  The  angels  of  God  will  say,  "We  flew  to 
him  on  errands  of  mercy,  and  would  have  charmed  him  into  life 
but  he  beat  us  back  in  our  ministry.  Escape  he  must  not!"  The 
throne  of  judgment  will  say,  "I  have  but  two  sentences  to  give — 
that  to  the  friends  of  God,  and  that  to  his  rejectors.  Escape  he 
must  not !"  All  the  voices  of  the  destroyed  will  speak  out,  and  say, 
"We  neglected  it  no  more  than  he.  Why  should  he  go  free  when 
we  are  banished  ?  Escape  he  must  not !"  Jesus  will  say,  "I  called 
to  him  for  many  years,  but  he  turned  his  back  on  all  these  wounds ; 
and  by  all  those  despised  tears,  and  by  that  rejected  blood.  Escape 
he  must  not!"  Then  God  will  speak,  and  answer  the  waters,  and 
the  rocks,  and  the  sun,  and  the  stars,  and  the  Bible,  and  the  bloody 
tree,  and  the  angels,  and  the  throne  of  judgment,  and  the  voice  of  the 
destroyed,  and  the  plea  of  a  rejected  Christ,  and  with  a  voice  that 
shall  ring  all  through  the  heights,  and  depths,  and  lengths,  and 
breadths  of  his  universe,  say,  "Escape  he  shall  not!" 

May  the  Lord  God  Almighty,  for  Jesus'  sake,  avert  such  a  catas- 
trophe. Hark!  The  city  clock  strikes  nine.  Thank  God,  it  is  not 
the  clock  of  our  destiny  striking  twelve !  The  day  of  mercy  has 
not  fully  passed.  But  it  is  the  eleventh  hour,  and  it  may  be  our 
last  chance.  If  I  never  say  another  word  to  you,  let  this  go  forth 
as  my  last  and  dying  utterance: 

Come  to  Jesus !    Come  now ! 


3i6  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 


REPENTANCE  AND  RESTITUTION 

By  Dwight  L.  Moody 
(Born  February  5,  1837) 

Text:  "God  commandeth  all  men  everywhere  to  repent."  Acts 
17:30. 

Repentance  is  one  of  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Bible. 
Yet  I  believe  it  is  one  of  those  truths  that  many  people  little  un- 
derstand at  the  present  day.  There  are  more  people  to-day  in  the 
mist  and  darkness  about  Repentance,  Regeneration,  the  Atonement, 
and  such-like  fundamental  truths,  than  perhaps  on  any  other  doc- 
trines. Yet  from  our  earliest  years  we  have  heard  about  them. 
If  I  were  to  ask  for  a  definition  of  Repentance,  a  great  many  would 
give  a  very  strange  and  false  idea  of  it. 

A  man  is  not  prepared  to  believe  or  to  receive  the  Gospel,  unless 
he  is  ready  to  repent  of  his  sins  and  turn  from  them.  Until  John 
the  Baptist  met  Christ,  he  had  but  one  text,  "Repent  ye ;  for  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand"  (Matt.  3:2).  But  if  he  had  con- 
tinued to  say  this,  and  had  stopped  there  without  pointing  the  people 
to  Christ  the  Lamb  of  God,  he  would  not  have  accomplished  much. 

When  Christ  came,  he  took  up  the  same  wilderness  cry,  "Repent ; 
for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand"  (Matt.  4:  17).  And  when 
our  Lord  sent  out  his  disciples,  it  was  with  the  same  message, 
"that  men  should  repent"  (Mark  6: 12).  After  he  had  been  glori- 
fied, and  when  the  Holy  Ghost  came  down,  we  find  Peter  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost  raising  the  same  cry,  "Repent!"  It  was  this  preach- 
ing— Repent,  and  believe  the  Gospel — that  wrought  such  marvellous 
results  then.  (Acts  2:  38-47).  And  we  find  that,  when  Paul  went 
to  Athens,  he  uttered  the  same  cry,  "Now  God  commandeth  all 
men,  everywhere,  to  repent"  (Acts  17:30). 

I.  Before  I  speak  of  what  Repentance  is,  let  me  briefly  say  what 
it  is  not. 

1.  Repentance  is  not  fear.  Many  people  have  confounded  the 
two.  They  think  they  have  to  be  alarmed  and  terrified;  and  they 
are  waiting  for  some  kind  of  fear  to  come  down  upon  them.  But 
multitudes  become  alarmed  who  do  not  really  repent.  You  have 
heard  of  men  at  sea  during  a  terrible  storm.  Perhaps  they  have 
been  very  profane  men;  but  when  the  danger  came  they  suddenly 
grew  quiet,  and  began  to  cry  to  God  for  mercy.  Yet  you  would 
not  say  they  repented.  When  the  storm  had  passed  away,  they 
went  on  swearing  the  same  as  before.  You  might  think  that  the 
king  of  Egypt  repented  when  God  sent  the  terrible  plagues  upon 
him  and  his  land.     But  it  was  not  repentance  at  all.     The  moment 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  317 

God's  hand  was  removed  Pharaoh's  heart  was  harder  than  ever. 
He  did  not  turn  from  a  single  sin ;  he  was  the  same  man.  So  that 
there  was  no  true  repentance  there. 

Often,  when  death  comes  into  a  family,  it  looks  as  if  the  event 
would  be  sanctified  to  the  conversion  of  all  who  are  in  the  house. 
Yet  in  six  months'  time  all  may  be  forgotten.  Some  who  hear  me 
have  perhaps  passed  through  that  experience.  When  God's  hand 
was  heavy  upon  them  it  looked  as  if  they  were  going  to  repent ;  but 
the  trial  has  been  removed — and  lo  and  behold,  the  impression 
has  all  gone. 

2.  Then  again,  Repentance  is  not  feeling.  I  find  a  great  many 
people  are  waiting  for  a  certain  kind  of  feeling  to  come.  They 
would  like  to  turn  to  God;  but  think  they  cannot  do  it  until  this 
feeling  comes.  When  I  was  in  Baltimore  I  used  to  preach  every 
Sunday  in  the  Penitentiary  to  nine  hundred  convicts.  There  was 
hardly  a  man  there  who  did  not  feel  miserable  enough :  they  had 
plenty  of  feeling.  For  the  first  week  or  ten  days  of  their  imprison- 
ment many  of  them  cried  half  the  time.  Yet,  when  they  were  re- 
leased, most  of  them  would  go  right  back  to  their  old  ways.  The 
truth  was,  that  they  felt  very  bad  because  they  had  got  caught; 
that  was  all.  So  you  have  seen  a  man  in  the  time  of  trial  show  a 
good  deal  of  feeling:  but  very  often  it  is  only  because  he  has  got 
into  trouble;  not  because  he  has  committed  sin,  or  because  his 
conscience  tells  him  he  has  done  evil  in  the  sight  of  God.  It  seems 
as  if  the  trial  were  going  to  result  in  true  repentance;  but  the 
feeling  too  often  passes  away. 

3.  Once  again,  Repentance  is  not  fasting  and  afflicting  the  body. 
A  man  may  fast  for  weeks  and  months  and  years,  and  yet  not 
repent  of  one  sin.  Neither  is  it  remorse.  Judas  had  terrible  re- 
morse— enough  to  make  him  go  and  hang  himself ;  but  that  was  not 
repentance.  I  believe  if  he  had  gone  to  his  Lord,  fallen  on  his  face, 
and  confessed  his  sin,  he  would  have  been  forgiven.  Instead  of 
this  he  went  to  the  priests,  and  then  put  an  end  to  his  life.  A 
man  may  do  all  sorts  of  penance — but  there  is  no  true  repentance 
in  that.  Put  that  down  in  your  mind.  You  cannot  meet  the  claims 
of  God  by  offering  the  fruit  of  your  body  for  the  sin  of  your  soul. 
Away  with  such  a  delusion ! 

4.  Repentance  is  not  conviction  of  sin.  That  may  sound  strange 
to  some.  I  have  seen  men  under  such  deep  conviction  of  sin  that 
they  could  not  sleep  at  night;  they  could  not  enjoy  a  single  meal. 
They  went  on  for  months  in  this  state ;  and  yet  they  were  not  con- 
verted; they  did  not  truly  repent.  Do  not  confound  conviction 
of  sin  with  Repentance. 

5.  Neither  is  praying  Repentance.  That  too  may  sound  strange. 
Many  people,  when  they  become  anxious  about  their  soul's  salva- 
tion, say,  "I  will  pray,  and  read  the  Bible ;"  and  they  think  that  will 


3i8  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

bring  about  the  desired  effect.  But  it  will  not  do  it.  You  may  read 
the  Bible  and  cry  to  God  a  great  deal,  and  yet  never  repent.  Many 
people  cry  loudly  to  God,  and  yet  do  not  repent. 

6.  Another  thing:  it  is  not  breaking  off  some  one  sin.  A  great 
many  people  make  that  mistake.  A  man  who  has  been  a  drunkard 
signs  the  pledge,  and  stops  drinking.  Breaking  off  one  sin  is  not 
Repentance.  Forsaking  one  vice  is  like  breaking  off  one  limb  of  a 
tree,  when  the  whole  tree  has  to  come  down.  A  profane  man 
stops  swearing;  very  good:  but  if  he  does  not  break  off  from  every 
sin  it  is  not  Repentance — it  is  not  the  work  of  God  in  the  soul. 
When  God  works  he  hews  down  the  whole  tree.  He  wants  to 
have  a  man  turn  from  every  sin.  Supposing  I  am  in  a  vessel  out 
at  sea,  and  I  find  the  ship  leaks  in  three  or  four  places.  I  may  go 
and  stop  up  one  hole ;  yet  down  goes  the  vessel.  Or  suppose  I  am 
wounded  in  three  or  four  places,  and  I  get  a  remedy  for  one  wound ; 
if  the  other  two  or  three  wounds  are  neglected,  my  life  will  soon 
be  gone.  True  Repentance  is  not  merely  breaking  off  this  or  that 
particular  sin. 

II.  Well  then,  you  will  ask,  what  is  Repentance?  I  will  give  you 
a  good  definition  :  it  is  "right  about  face  !"  In  the  Irish  language  the 
word  "Repentance"  means  even  more  than  "right  about  face!" 
It  implies  that  a  man  who  has  been  walking  in  one  direction  has 
not  only  faced  about,  but  is  actually  walking  in  an  exactly  contrary 
direction.  "Turn  ye,  turn  ye ;  for  why  will  ye  die  ?"  A  man  may 
have  little  feeling  or  much  feeling;  but  if  he  does  not  turn  away 
from  sin,  God  will  not  have  mercy  on  him.  Repentance  has  also 
been  described  as  "a  change  of  mind."  For  instance,  there  is  the 
parable  told  by  Christ:  "A  certain  man  had  two  sons;  and  he 
came  to  the  first,  and  said,  Son,  go  work  to-day  in  my  vineyard. 
He  answered  and  said,  I  will  not"  (Matt.  21:28,  29).  After  he 
had  said  "I  will  not"  he  thought  over  it,  and  changed  his  mind. 
Perhaps  he  may  have  said  to  himself,  "I  did  not  speak  very  respect- 
fully to  my  father.  He  asked  me  to  go  and  work,  and  I  told  him 
I  would  not  go.  I  think  I  was  wrong."  But  suppose  he  had  only 
said  this,  and  still  had  not  gone  he  would  not  have  repented.  He 
was  not  only  convinced  that  he  was  wrong;  but  he  went  off  into 
the  fields,  hoeing,  or  mowing  or  whatever  it  was.  That  is  Christ's 
definition  of  repentance.  If  a  man  says,  "By  the  grace  of  God  I 
will  forsake  my  sin,  and  do  his  will,"  that  is  Repentance — a  turning 
right  about. 

Some  one  has  said,  man  is  born  with  his  face  turned  away  from 
God.  When  he  truly  repents  he  is  turned  right  around  towards 
God ;  he  leaves  his  old  life. 

Can  a  man  at  once  repent?  Certainly  he  can.  It  does  not  take 
a  long  while  to  turn  around.  It  does  not  take  a  man  six  months 
to  change  his  mind.     There  was  a  vessel  that  went  down  some  time 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  319 

ago  on  the  Newfoundland  coast.  As  she  was  bearing  towards  the 
shore,  there  was  a  moment  when  the  captain  could  have  given  orders 
to  reverse  the  engines  and  turn  back.  If  the  engines  had  been 
reversed  then,  the  ship  would  have  been  saved.  But  there  was  a 
moment  when  it  was  too  late.  So  there  is  a  moment,  I  believe,  in 
every  man's  life  when  he  can  halt  and  say,  "By  the  grace  of  God 
I  will  go  no  further  towards  death  and  ruin.  I  repent  of  my  sins 
and  turn  from  them."  You  may  say  you  have  not  got  feeling 
enough;  but  if  you  are  convinced  that  you  are  on  the  wrong  road, 
turn  right  about,  and  say,  "I  will  no  longer  go  on  in  the  way  of 
rebellion  and  sin  as  I  have  done." 

Just  then,  when  you  are  willing  to  turn  towards  God,  salvation 
may  be  yours. 

I  find  that  every  case  of  conversion  recorded  in  the  Bible  was 
instantaneous.  Repentance  and  faith  came  very  suddenly.  The  mo- 
ment a  man  made  up  his  mind,  God  gave  him  the  power.  God 
does  not  ask  any  man  to  do  what  he  has  not  the  power  to  do. 
He  would  not  "command  all  men  everywhere  to  repent"  (Acts 
17 :  30)  if  they  were  not  able  to  do  so.  Man  has  no  one  to  blame 
but  himself  if  he  does  not  repent  and  believe  the  Gospel.  One 
of  the  leading  ministers  of  the  Gospel  in  Ohio  wrote  me  a  letter 
some  time  ago  describing  his  conversion :  it  very  forcibly  illustrates 
this  point  of  instantaneous  decision.     He  said : 

"I  was  nineteen  years  old,  and  was  reading  law  with  a  Christian 
lawyer  in  Vermont.  One  afternoon  when  he  was  away  from  home, 
his  good  wife  said  to  me  as  I  came  into  the  house,  'I  want  you 
to  go  to  class-meeting  with  me  to-night  and  become  a  Christian, 
so  that  you  can  conduct  family  worship  while  my  husband  is  away.' 
'Well,  I'll  do  it,'  I  said,  without  any  thought.  When  I  came  into 
the  house  again  she  asked  me  if  I  was  honest  in  what  I  had  said. 
I  replied,  'Yes,  so  far  as  going  to  meeting  with  you  is  concerned ; 
that  is  only  courteous.' 

"I  went  with  her  to  the  class-meeting,  as  I  had  often  done  be- 
fore. About  a  dozen  persons  were  present  in  a  little  school-house. 
The  leader  had  spoken  to  all  in  the  room  but  myself  and  two 
others.  He  was  speaking  to  the  person  next  me,  when  the  thought 
occurred  to  me :  he  will  ask  me  if  I  have  anything  to  say.  I  said 
to  myself:  I  have  decided  to  be  a  Christian  sometime;  why  not 
begin  now?  In  less  time  than  a  minute  after  these  thoughts  had 
passed  through  my  mind  he  said,  speaking  to  me  familiarly — for  he 
knew  me  very  well — 'Brother  Charles,  will  you  close  the  meeting 
with  prayer?'  He  knew  I  had  never  prayed  in  public.  Up  to 
this  moment  I  had  no  feeling.  It  was  purely  a  business  transaction. 
My  first  thought  was :  I  cannot  pray,  and  I  will  ask  him  to  excuse 
me.  My  second  was:  I  have  said  I  will  begin  a  Christian  life; 
and  this  is  a  part  of  it.    So  I  said,  'Let  us  pray.'    And  somewhere 


320  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

between  the  time  I  started  to  kneel  and  the  time  my  knees  struck  the 
floor  the  Lord  converted  my  soul. 

"The  first  words  I  said  were,  'Glory  to  God !'  What  I  said  after 
that  I  do  not  know,  and  it  does  not  matter,  for  my  soul  was 
too  full  to  say  much  but  'Glory !'  From  that  hour  the  devil  has 
never  dared  to  challenge  my  conversion.  To  Christ  be  all  the 
praise." 

Many  people  are  waiting,  they  cannot  exactly  tell  for  what,  but 
for  some  sort  of  miraculous  feeling  to  come  stealing  over  them 
— some  mysterious  kind  of  faith.  I  was  speaking  to  a  man  some 
years  ago,  and  he  always  had  one  answer  to  give  me.  For  five 
years  I  tried  to  win  him  to  Christ,  and  every  year  he  said,  "It  has 
not  'struck  me'  yet."  "Man,  what  do  you  mean?  What  has  not 
struck  you  ?"  "Well,"  he  said,  "I  am  not  going  to  become  a  Chris- 
tian until  it  strikes  me;  and  it  has  not  struck  me  yet.  I  do  not 
see  it  in  the  way  you  see  it."  "But  don't  you  know  you  are  a 
sinner?"  "Yes,  I  know  I  am  a  sinner."  "Well,  don't  you  know 
that  God  wants  to  have  mercy  on  you — that  there  is  forgiveness 
with  God?  He  wants  you  to  repent  and  come  to  him."  "Yes, 
I  know  that ;  but — it  has  not  struck  me  yet."  He  always  fell  back 
on  that.  Poor  man!  he  went  down  to  his  grave  in  a  state  of  in- 
decision. Sixty  long  years  God  gave  him  to  repent;  and  all  he 
had  to  say  at  the  end  of  those  years  was  that  it  "had  not  struck 
him  yet." 

Is  any  one  waiting  for  some  strange  feeling — you  do  not  know 
what?  Nowhere  in  the  Bible  is  a  man  told  to  wait;  God  is  com- 
manding you  now  to  repent. 

Do  you  think  God  can  forgive  a  man  when  he  does  not  want  to 
be  forgiven?  Would  he  be  happy  if  God  forgave  him  in  this  state 
of  mind?  Why,  if  a  man  went  into  the  kingdom  of  God  without 
repentance,  heaven  would  be  hell  to  him.  Heaven  is  a  prepared 
place  for  a  prepared  people.  If  your  boy  has  done  wrong,  and 
will  not  repent,  you  cannot  forgive  him.  You  would  be  doing 
him  an  injustice.  Suppose  he  goes  to  your  desk,  and  steals  $10, 
and  squanders  it.  When  you  come  home  your  servant  tells  you 
what  your  boy  has  done.  You  ask  if  it  is  true,  and  he  denies  it. 
But  at  last  you  have  certain  proof.  Even  when  he  finds  he  cannot 
deny  it  any  longer,  he  will  not  confess  the  sin,  but  says  he  will  do 
it  again  the  first  chance  he  gets.  Would  you  say  to  him,  "Well,  I 
forgive  you,"  and  leave  the  matter  there?  No!  Yet  people  say 
that  God  is  going  to  save  all  men,  whether  they  repent  or  not— 
drunkards,  thieves,  harlots,  whoremongers,  it  makes  no  difference. 
"God  is  so  merciful,"  they  say.  Dear  friend,  do  not  be  deceived 
by  the  god  of  this  world.  Where  there  is  true  repentance  and  a 
turning  from  sin  unto  God,  he  will  meet  and  bless  you;  but  he 
never  blesses  until  there  is  sincere  repentance. 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  321 

David  made  a  woeful  mistake  in  this  respect  with  his  rebellious 
son,  Absalom.  He  could  not  have  done  his  son  a  greater  injustice 
than  to  forgive  him  when  his  heart  was  unchanged.  There  could 
be  no  true  reconciliation  between  them  when  there  was  no  repent- 
ance. But  God  does  not  make  these  mistakes.  David  got  into 
trouble  on  account  of  his  error  of  judgment.  His  son  soon  drove 
his  father  from  the  throne. 

Speaking  on  repentance,  Dr.  Brooks,  of  St.  Louis,  well  remarks : 
"Repentance,  strictly  speaking,  means  a  'change  of  mind  or  pur- 
pose;' consequently  it  is  the  judgment  which  the  sinner  pronounces 
upon  himself,  in  view  of  the  love  of  God  displayed  in  the  death  of 
Christ,  connected  with  the  abandonment  of  all  confidence  in  him- 
self and  with  trust  in  the  only  Saviour  of  sinners.  Saving  repent- 
ance and  saving  faith  always  go  together ;  and  you  need  not  be  wor- 
ried about  repentance  if  you  will  believe." 

"Some  people  are  not  sure  that  they  have  'repented  enough.' 
If  you  mean  by  this  that  you  must  repent  in  order  to  incline  God  to 
be  merciful  to  you,  the  sooner  you  give  over  such  repentance  the 
better.  God  is  already  merciful,  as  he  has  fully  shown  at  the 
Cross  of  Calvary;  and  it  is  a  grievous  dishonor  to  his  heart  of 
love  if  you  think  that  your  tears  and  anguish  will  move  him,  'not 
knowing  that  the  goodness  of  God  leadeth  thee  to  repentance/ 
It  is  not  your  badness,  therefore,  but  his  goodness  that  leads  to 
repentance ;  hence  the  true  way  to  repent  is  to  believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  'who  was  delivered  for  our  offences,  and  was  raised 
again  for  our  justification.'  " 

Another  thing.  If  there  is  true  repentance  it  will  bring  forth 
fruit.  If  we  have  done  wrong  to  any  one  we  should  never  ask 
God  to  forgive  us,  until  we  are  willing  to  make  restitution.  If 
I  have  done  any  man  a  great  injustice  and  can  make  it  good,  I 
need  not  ask  God  to  forgive  me  until  I  am  willing  to  make  it 
good.  Suppose  I  have  taken  something  that  does  not  belong  to 
me.     I  have  no  right  to  expect  forgiveness  until  I  make  restitution. 

I  remember  preaching  in  one  of  our  large  cities,  when  a  fine- 
looking  man  came  up  to  me  at  the  close.  He  was  in  great  dis- 
tress of  mind.  "The  fact  is,"  he  said,  "I  am  a  defaulter.  I  have 
taken  money  that  belonged  to  my  employers.  How  can  I  become  a 
Christian  without  restoring  it?"  "Have  you  got  the  money?"  He 
told  me  he  had  not  got  it  all.  He  had  taken  about  $1,500,  and 
he  still  had  about  $900.  He  said,  "Could  I  not  take  that  money 
and  go  into  business,  and  make  enough  to  pay  them  back?"  I  told 
him  that  was  a  delusion  of  Satan :  that  he  could  not  expect  to  pros- 
per on  stolen  money;  that  he  should  restore  all  he  had,  and  go  and 
ask  his  employers  to  have  mercy  upon  him  and  forgive  him.  "But 
they  will  put  me  in  prison,"  he  said:  "cannot  you  give  me  any 
help?"     "No,  you  must  restore  the  money  before  you  can  expect 


322  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

to  get  any  help  from  God."  "It  is  pretty  hard,"  he  said.  "Yes, 
it  is  hard;  but  the  great  mistake  was  in  doing  the  wrong  at  first." 

His  burden  became  so  heavy  that  it  got  to  be  insupportable.  He 
handed  me  the  money — 950  dollars  and  some  cents — and  asked  me 
to  take  it  back  to  his  employers.  The  next  evening  the  two  em- 
ployers and  myself  met  in  a  side  room  of  the  church.  I  laid  the 
money  down,  and  informed  them  it  was  from  one  of  their  employes. 
I  told  them  the  story,  and  said  he  wanted  mercy  from  them,  not 
justice.  The  tears  trickled  down  the  cheeks  of  these  two  men, 
and  they  said,  "Forgive  him!  Yes,  we  will  be  glad  to  forgive 
him."  I  went  down  stairs  and  brought  him  up.  After  he  had 
confessed  his  guilt  and  been  forgiven,  we  all  got  down  on  our 
knees  and  had  a  blessed  prayer-meeting.  God  met  us  and  blessed 
us  there. 

There  was  a  friend  of  mine  who  some  time  ago  had  come  to 
Christ  and  wished  to  consecrate  himself  and  his  wealth  to  God. 
He  had  formerly  had  transactions  with  the  government,  and  had 
taken  advantage  of  them.  This  thing  came  up  when  he  was  con- 
verted, and  his  conscience  troubled  him.  He  said,  "I  want  to  con- 
secrate my  wealth,  but  it  seems  as  if  God  will  not  take  it."  He 
had  a  terrible  struggle;  his  conscience  kept  rising  up  and  smiting 
him.  At  last  he  drew  a  check  for  $1,500  and  sent  it  to  the  United 
States  Treasury.  He  told  me  he  received  such  a  blessing  when  he 
had  done  it.  That  was  bringing  forth  "fruits  meet  for  repentance." 
I  believe  a  great  many  men  are  crying  to  God  for  light  and  they 
are  not  getting  it  because  they  are  not  honest. 

I  was  once  preaching,  and  a  man  came  to  me  who  was  only 
thirty-two  years  old,  but  whose  hair  was  very  grey.  He  said,  "I 
want  you  to  notice  that  my  hair  is  grey,  and  I  am  only  thirty-two 
years  old.  For  twelve  years  I  have  carried  a  great  burden." 
"Well,"  I  said,  "what  is  it?"  He  looked  around  as  if  afraid  some 
one  would  hear  him.  "Well,"  he  answered,  "my  father  died  and 
left  my  mother  with  the  county  newspaper,  and  left  her  only  that : 
that  was  all  she  had.  After  he  died  the  paper  began  to  waste 
away;  and  I  saw  my  mother  was  fast  sinking  into  a  state  of  need. 
The  building  and  the  paper  were  insured  for  a  thousand  dollars, 
and  when  I  was  twenty  years  old  I  set  fire  to  the  building,  and 
obtained  the  thousand  dollars,  and  gave  it  to  my  mother.  For 
twelve  years  that  sin  has  been  haunting  me.  I  have  tried  to  drown 
it  by  indulgence  in  pleasure  and  sin ;  I  have  cursed  God ;  I  have  gone 
into  infidelity ;  I  have  tried  to  make  out  that  the  Bible  is  not  true ; 
I  have  done  everything  I  could:  but  all  these  years  I  have  been 
tormented."  I  said,  "There  is  a  way  out  of  that."  He  inquired 
"How?"  I  said,  "Make  restitution.  Let  us  sit  down  and  calculate 
the  interest,  and  then  you  pay  the  Company  the  money."    It  would 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  323 

have  done  you  good  to  see  that  man's  face  light  up  when  he  found 
there  was  mercy  for  him.  He  said  he  would  be  glad  to  pay 
back  the  money  and  interest  if  he  could  only  be  forgiven. 

There  are  men  to-day  who  are  in  darkness  and  bondage  because 
they  are  not  willing  to  turn  from  their  sins  and  confess  them; 
and  I  do  not  know  how  a  man  can  hope  to  be  forgiven  if  he  is 
not  willing  to  confess  his  sins. 

Bear  in  mind  that  now  is  the. only  day  of  mercy  you  will  ever 
have.  You  can  repent  now,  and  have  the  awful  record  blotted  out. 
God  waits  to  forgive  you;  he  is  seeking  to  bring  you  to  himself. 
But  I  think  the  Bible  teaches  clearly  that  there  is  no  repentance 
after  this  life.  There  are  some  who  tell  you  of  the  possibility 
of  repentance  in  the  grave;  but  I  do  not  find  that  in  Scripture. 
I  have  looked  my  Bible  over  very  carefully,  and  I  cannot  find  that 
a  man  will  have  another  opportunity  of  being  saved. 

Why  should  he  ask  for  any  more  time?  You  have  time  enough 
to  repent  now.  You  can  turn  from  your  sins  this  moment  if  you 
will.  God  says :  "I  have  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  him  that 
dieth;  wherefore  turn,  and  live  ye"  (Ezek.  18:32). 

Christ  said,  he  "came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  re- 
pentance." Are  you  a  sinner?  Then  the  call  to  repent  is  addressed 
to  you.  Take  your  place  in  the  dust  at  the  Saviour's  feet,  and 
acknowledge  your  guilt.  Say,  like  the  publican  of  old,  "God  be 
merciful  to  me  a  sinner!"  and  see  how  quickly  he  will  pardon  and 
bless  you.  He  will  even  justify  you  and  reckon  you  as  righteous, 
by  virtue  of  the  righteousness  of  him  who  bore  your  sins  in  his 
own  body  on  the  Cross. 

There  are  some  perhaps  who  think  themselves  righteous;  and 
that,  therefore,  there  is  no  need  for  them  to  repent  and  believe  the 
Gospel.  They  are  like  the  Pharisee  in  the  parable,  who  thanked 
God  that  he  was  not  as  other  men — "extortioners,  unjust,  adult- 
erers, or  even  as  this  publican;"  and  who  went  on  to  say,  "I  fast 
twice  a  week;  I  give  tithes  of  all  I  possess."  What  is  the  judg- 
ment about  such  self-righteous  persons?  "I  tell  you  this  man 
(the  poor,  contrite,  repenting  publican)  went  down  to  his  house 
justified  rather  than  the  other"  (Luke  18:11-14).  "There  is  none 
righteous;  no,  not  one."  "All  have  sinned,  and  come  short  of  the 
glory  of  God"  (Rom.  3: 10,  23).  Let  no  one  say  he  does  not  need 
to  repent.  Let  each  one  take  his  true  place — that  of  a  sinner;  then 
God  will  lift  him  up  to  the  place  of  forgiveness  and  justification. 
"Whosoever  exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased;  and  he  that  humbleth 
himself  shall  be  exalted"  (Luke  14:2). 

Wherever  God  sees  true  repentance  in  the  heart  he  meets  that 
soul. 

I  was  in  Colorado,  preaching  the  gospel  some  time  ago,  and  I 


324  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

heard  something  that  touched  my  heart  very  much.  The  governor 
of  the  State  was  passing  through  the  prison,  and  in  one  cell  he 
found  a  boy  who  had  his  window  full  of  flowers  that  seemed  to 
have  been  watched  with  very  tender  care.  The  governor  looked 
at  the  prisoner,  and  then  at  the  flowers,  and  asked  whose  they 
were.  "These  are  my  flowers,"  said  the  poor  convict.  "Are  you 
fond  of  flowers?"  "Yes,  sir."  "How  long  have  you  been  here?" 
He  told  him  so  many  years :  he  was  in  for  a  long  sentence.  The 
governor  was  surprised  to  find  him  so  fond  of  the  flowers,  and  he 
said,  "Can  you  tell  me  why  you  like  these  flowers  so  much?"  With 
much  emotion  he  replied,  "While  my  mother  was  alive  she  thought 
a  good  deal  of  flowers ;  and  when  I  came  here  I  thought  if  I  had 
these  they  would  remind  me  of  mother."  The  governor  was  so 
pleased  that  he  said,  "Well,  young  man,  if  you  think  so  much  of 
your  mother  I  think  you  will  appreciate  your  liberty,"  and  he  par- 
doned him  then  and  there. 

When  God  finds  that  beautiful  flower  of  true  repentance  spring- 
ing up  in  a  man's  heart,  then  salvation  comes  to  that  man. 


THE  BOW  IN  THE  CLOUDS 

By  Rev.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  D.D. 

Text:  "I  do  set  my  bow  in  the  cloud,  and  it  shall  be  a  token  of 
a  covenant  between  me  and  the  earth."     Genesis  9 :  13. 

It  may  seem  at  first  thought  as  if  this  were  a  queer  text  to  choose 
from  which  to  give  a  gospel  message,  and  yet  all  the  works  of  God 
are  so  wonderful  that  one  has  but  to  get  the  key  to  unlock  the 
door  leading  into  them  to  find  them  filled  with  sweetness  and  with 
help.  The  rainbow  is  no  exception  to  this  rule.  It  is  hardly  pos- 
sible for  one  to  look  upon  the  bow  that  spans  the  clouds  after  a 
storm  without  an  exclamation  of  delight. 

One  would  think  that  it  would  grow  monotonous,  for  we  have 
seen  it  so  many  times,  but  quite  the  opposite  is  true.  Sunsets  dif- 
fer; they  are  as  unlike  as  two  things  could  possibly  be.  Indeed,  it 
must  be  true  that  one  is  never  like  the  other.  But  rainbows  are  al- 
ways the  same.  And  yet  in  spite  of  this  we  are  charmed  as  we 
look,  and  inspired  as  we  study. 

The  first  mention  of  a  bow  is  in  the  text.  It  is  not  said  that 
this  is  the  first  time  the  rainbow  has  appeared,  for  from  the  very 
nature  of  the  case  it  has  always  been  in  existence  since  the  worlds 
began  to  be,  but  this  is  said  to  be  the  first  use  of  it.  The  last 
mention  of  a  rainbow  is  Revelation  4:3:  "And  he  that  sat  was  to 
look  upon  like  jasper  and  a  sardine  stone :  and  there  was  a  rainbow 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  325 

round  about  the  throne,  in  sight  like  unto  an  emerald."  You  no- 
tice that  the  expression  used  is  "round  about  the  throne,"  and  here 
for  the  first  time  we  find  a  rainbow  in  a  complete  circle. 

We  have  only  seen  the  half  of  it  here,  which  is  surely  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  fact  that  in  this  world  at  best  we  only  get  the  half 
of  things.  We  only  get  the  half  of  truth.  Take  the  great  doc- 
trine of  the  Atonement:  who  is  able  to  understand  it?  But  it  is 
very  helpful  to  know  that  we  are  not  obliged  to  understand  it,  but 
only  to  receive  it.  God  is  satisfied  with  it,  and  he  fully  compre- 
hends it,  and  when  we  stand  with  him  in  glory  we  shall  see  the 
other  half  of  the  bow,  and  our  hearts  shall  rejoice.  We  only  see 
the  half  of  life  here.  At  its  best  it  is  a  mystery.  Over  and  over 
again,  when  we  wanted  to  go  to  the  right  we  were  compelled  to 
turn  to  the  left,  and  a  thousand  times  because  of  our  perplexities 
and  trials  we  have  cried  aloud:  "How  can  these  things  be?" 

But  we  must  learn  the  lesson  that  we  must  trust  him  where  we 
cannot  understand  him.  The  day  will  come,  when  seated  at  his 
feet  we  shall  see  the  other  half  of  the  bow  of  our  life,  and  we 
shall  know  indeed  that  all  things  have  worked  together  for  good. 

The  last  mention  of  the  bow  in  Revelation  tells  us  that  it  is  to 
be  like  an  emerald.  This  is  certainly  very  strange,  for  one  has 
never  beheld  a  green  rainbow  here.  Six  other  colors  must  be  added 
to  it  to  make  it  complete.  The  color,  however,  is  not  without  its 
suggestiveness.  Green  is  the  color  that  always  rests  the  eye.  It  is 
for  this  reason  that  the  hillsides,  the  waving  branches  of  the  trees, 
and  the  grass  beneath  our  feet,  are  so  restful  on  a  summer  day.  Is 
not  this  a  hint  that  heaven  is  a  place  of  rest  as  well  as  beauty? 

There  are  three  primal  colors  in  the  rainbow,  red,  yellow  and 
blue.  If  you  drop  the  red  and  put  the  yellow  and  the  blue  together 
you  have  green  as  a  result.  Red  is  the  color  of  suffering.  Surely 
it  is  a  hint  as  to  the  thought  that  when  one  passes  through  the 
gates  of  pearl  he  leaves  suffering  behind  him.  There  is  to  be  no 
red  mark  in  heaven.  Christ  finished  his  sufferings  upon  Calvary, 
and  never  a  pang  shall  meet  him  again.  We  finish  our  suffering 
too  when  we  say  good-bye  to  this  weary  road  we  have  traveled, 
and  the  gate  of  heaven  that  shuts  us  in  shuts  suffering  out. 

I.    The  cloud. 

We  know  what  the  cloud  was  for  Noah,  (for  this  text  which 
I  have  quoted  has  to  do  with  him),  and  a  cloud  in  Noah's  day 
was  not  unlike  the  cloud  of  yesterday;  but  in  the  thought  of  the 
sermon,  the  cloud  is  sin. 

It  would  make  one  heartsick  to  read  the  history  of  sin.  First, 
in  the  world,  beginning  with  Adam,  going  to  Noah,  reaching  the 
howling  mob  about  the  cross  of  Calvary  coming  down  to  the  present 
day,  when  the  whole  world  seems  to  be  touched  with  its  power, 
the  most  terrible  thing  in  the  world  is  sin.     Second,  in  the  home, 


326  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

blighting  and  blasting  that  which  is  a  type  of  heaven,  and  wrecking 
that  which  God  meant  to  be  a  safe  vessel  to  carry  us  through 
the  turmoils  and  strife  ever  round  about  us.  Third,  in  our  own 
heart,  giving  us  wrong  conceptions  of  God,  and  dragging  us  toward 
hell,  even  against  our  will.  The  blackest  thing  in  all  the  world 
is  sin. 

The  cloud  does  two  things. 

1.  It  obscures  the  sun.  The  cloud  of  sin  does  the  same  thing. 
No  one  ever  yet  has  had  a  true  vision  of  Jesus  Christ  with  the  least 
particle  of  sin  in  his  heart  or  life.  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart, 
for  they  shall  see  God." 

A  poor  fellow  converted  in  one  of  the  missions  in  Chicago,  who 
was  thought  before  his  conversion  to  be  hardly  worth  the  saving, 
was  so  wonderfully  transformed  that  a  committee  waited  upon 
him  to  find  the  secret  of  his  changed  life.  He  answered  their  ques- 
tion in  just  one  sentence:  "I  have  seen  Jesus."  This  vision  ever 
changes  the  life  and  transforms  character. 

2.  The  cloud  compels  us  to  see  things  in  a  false  light.  God 
made  the  works  of  his  hands  to  be  seen  in  the  sunlight.  We  must 
not  judge  them  under  the  cloud.  And  with  the  cloud  of  sin  across 
a  man's  mind  he  can  have  no  real  conception  of  the  Bible ;  he  must 
certainly  be  prejudiced  against  the  church.  Scatter  the  darkness 
that  hovers  over  your  mind,  and  the  Bible  will  become  to  you  the 
very  thought  of  God,  while  the  church  will  compel  your  admiration. 

II.  Across  the  cloud  God  casts  his  bow. 

To  see  a  bow  three  things  are  necessary.  First,  there  must  be 
a  cloud;  we  certainly  have  that  in  the  world's  sin.  Second,  the 
sun  must  be  shining;  we  have  this  condition  met  in  the  fact  that 
God  is  light,  and  in  him  there  is  no  darkness  at  all.  Third,  the 
rain  must  be  falling.  We  have  this  in  Isaiah  55 :  10,  1 1 — "For  as 
the  rain  cometh  down,  and  the  snow  from  heaven,  and  returneth 
not  thither,  but  watereth  the  earth,  and  maketh  it  bring  forth  and 
bud,  that  it  may  give  seed  to  the  sower,  and  bread  to  the  eater: 
so  shall  My  Word  be  that  goeth  forth  out  of  My  mouth:  it  shall 
not  return  unto  Me  void,  but  it  shall  accomplish  that  which  I 
please,  and  it  shall  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I  sent  it." 

Or,  we  might  put  it — first,  in  order  that  we  may  be  saved,  we 
must  acknowledge  ourselves  to  be  sinners.  This  is  the  cloud. 
Second,  we  must  have  some  conception  of  God's  hatred  of  sin. 
This  is  the  light.  Third,  we  must  be  persuaded  that  he  loved 
us  and  gave  himself  for  us.  This  is  the  rain.  With  these  condi- 
tions met,  the  bow  of  promise  spans  the  cloud  of  a  sinful  life. 

III.  The  seven  colors. 

If  I  should  hold  a  prism  in  my  hand  and  the  light  of  day  should 
touch  it  there  would  be  refracted  at  once  seven  colors,  as  follows : 
red,  orange,  yellow,  green,  blue,  indigo  and  violet.     There  never 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  327 

has  been  a  rainbow  in  this  world  but  these  have  been  seen  in  more 
or  less  prominence.  In  my  message  now,  the  prism  is  the  cross, 
and  the  light  is  God's  truth.  As  it  strikes  this  long  prism  it  breaks 
up  into  seven  colors.    The  seven  together  give  us  the  rainbow. 

First,  forgiveness.  Psalm  32 : 1 — "Blessed  is  he  whose  trans- 
gression is  forgiven,  whose  sin  is  covered."  The  word  forgiven 
means  taken  off.  What  a  wonderful  thought  it  is!  Oh,  what  a 
load  of  sin  we  had  to  carry!  How  it  did  weigh  us  down!  How 
day  and  night  we  went  crying  aloud,  saying,  "Oh,  wretched  man 
that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver  me?"  Resolution  never  lifted  it  a 
particle.  Reformation  only  seemed  to  make  it  heavier.  Then  he 
came,  and  stooped  down,  or  whispered  to  us  just  one  sweet  word, 
"Forgiven!"  and  when  we  realized  it  the  burden  was  taken  off. 
To  receive  all  of  this  we  have  but  to  yield  to  God.  Trying  to  make 
ourselves  better  only  adds  to  the  cloud  and  deepens  our  despair. 

The  second  color  is  cleansing.  Psalm  51 :  7 — "Purge  me  with 
hyssop,  and  I  shall  be  clean :  wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than 
snow."  The  little  bunch  of  hyssop  carries  us  back  to  the  Passover 
night,  when  the  lamb  was  slain  and  its  blood  collected.  It  was  not 
said  that  one  should  take  a  brush,  but  a  bunch  of  hyssop,  and  dip 
it  in  the  blood  and  sprinkle  the  posts  of  the  door.  The  commonest 
thing  that  grew  in  the  East  was  hyssop.  It  represents  faith.  One 
had  but  to  step  to  the  door  of  the  cottage  and  stoop  down  to  pluck 
a  bunch  of  hyssop.  The  commonest  thing  in  all  this  world  is 
faith.  We  have  faith  in  each  other,  whether  we  express  it  in 
this  world  or  not;  and  the  faith  that  one  has  in  his  mother,  in  his 
father,  in  wife  or  husband,  if  turned  toward  Jesus  Christ,  would 
save  his  soul.  It  is  one  thing  to  be  forgiven,  but  the  color  deepens, 
and  the  truth  sweetens  when  we  know  that  because  of  the  shed 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  we  may  be  made  clean.  "The  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  his  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin." 

The  third  color  is  justification.  Romans  4 :  25 — "Who  was  de- 
livered for  our  offences,  and  was  raised  again  for  our  justification." 
One  might  be  perfectly  sure  of  his  forgiveness,  and  know  that  it 
meant  sins  taken  off,  and  might  be  confident  of  his  cleansing,  but 
there  is  the  memory  of  the  old  life  of  failure  which  is  ever  to  him 
like  a  shackle  when  he  would  run  to  God.  Justification  is  sweeter 
by  far  than  anything  we  have  yet  learned.  When  Christ  rose  for 
our  justification  he  stood  before  God  as  a  kind  of  a  receipt  (as 
John  Robertson  has  said),  and  when  God  looks  upon  that  receipt  he 
knows  the  bill  is  paid. 

"Jesus  paid  it  all.     All  to  him  I  owe. 

Sin  had  left  a  crimson  stain,  he  washed  it  white  as  snow." 

But  justification  is  even  better  to  me  than  this,  for  when  one 
is  justified  before  God  he  actually  stands  as  if  he  never  had  sinned. 


328  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

The  fourth  color  is — sins  covered  by  the  sea.  Micah  7:19 — 
"He  will  turn  again,  he  will  have  compassion  upon  us;  he  will 
subdue  our  iniquities;  and  Thou  wilt  cast  all  their  sins  into  the 
depths  of  the  sea." 

It  is  very  comforting  to  know  that  there  are  some  depths  in  the 
ocean  so  deep  that  they  can  never  be  sounded.  Our  sins  must  have 
gone  as  deep. 

There  is  also  another  thought  of  comfort :  if  a  body  is  cast  into  the 
ocean  where  the  waters  are  not  very  deep,  when  the  storms  come 
and  the  ocean  is  in  a  fury,  the  storm,  as  if  with  giant  hands,  takes 
the  dead  body  and  casts  it  upon  the  shore.  But  there  are  depths  in 
the  sea  so  great  that  no  storm  that  has  ever  yet  swept  across  the 
face  of  the  deep  has  stirred  the  waters.  Thanks  be  unto  God,  our 
sins  may  be  sunk  so  deep  in  the  sea,  that  they  will  never  be  cast  up 
against  us  again.  The  color  deepens  and  the  truth  grows  sweeter 
still. 

The  fifth  color  is — sins  removed.  Psalm  103 :  12 — "As  far  as 
the  east  is  from  the  west,  so  far  hath  he  removed  our  transgres- 
sions from  us." 

It  has  been  proved  that  the  distance  from  east  to  west  could 
never  be  measured.  This  is  certainly  inspiring.  But  there  is  some- 
thing better  for  me  than  this  in  the  fifth  color,  for  when  I  am 
told  that  my  sins  are  as  far  from  me  as  the  east  is  from  the 
west  I  know  that  the  east  and  the  west  can  never  be  brought 
together;  nor  can  the  saved  sinner  and  his  pardoned  sins  ever 
meet  again. 

The  sixth  color  is  Isaiah  44 :  22 — "I  have  blotted  out,  as  a  thick 
cloud,  thy  transgressions,  and,  as  a  cloud,  thy  sins:  return  unto 
me,  for  I  have  redeemed  thee." 

A  man  can  not  blot  out  his  own  sins.  Some  have  tried  it  with 
their  tears  and  have  lost  their  reason.  Some  have  attempted  it 
by  works  of  mercy,  and  have  given  up  in  despair.  But  God  can 
easily  do  it.  For  sins  to  be  blotted  out  may  mean  the  same  as 
for  man's  account  to  be  blotted  out.  I  may  have  a  bill  charged 
against  me  on  the  books,  but  if  on  the  opposite  side  is  credited 
a  sufficient  sum  of  money  to  meet  the  indebtedness,  it  is  blotted 
out.  But  the  expression  must  mean  more  than  this.  It  means 
that  when  one's  sins  are  blotted  out  by  God  they  are  as  if  they 
never  had  been. 

The  seventh  color  seems  the  climax  of  all.  Ezekiel  33 :  16 — 
"None  of  his  sins  that  he  hath  committed  shall  be  mentioned  unto 
him:  he  hath  done  that  which  is  lawful  and  right;  he  shall  surely 
live." 

We  have  an  idea  that,  although  our  sins  have  been  forgiven  and 
we  may  have  been  justified,  when  the  great  day  of  judgment  comes 
we  may  be  obliged  to  meet  them  all  again.     But  this  is  not  true. 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  329 

Once  and  for  all  hath  he  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself, 
and  the  sins  of  our  lives  shall  not  again  be  mentioned  to  us. 

IV.    God's  covenant. 

The  bow  was  God's  covenant  then.  Now  God's  covenant  is 
his  Word,  and  upon  this  Word  we  may  depend.  Notice  the  num- 
ber of  times  God  uses  the  expression,  "I  will,"  in  Exodus  6:6-8. 

"Wherefore,  say  unto  the  children  of  Israel  I  am  the  Lord,  and 
I  will  bring  you  out  from  under  the  burdens  of  the  Egyptians,  and 
I  will  rid  you  out  of  their  bondage,  and  I  will  redeem  you  with 
a  stretched  out  arm  and  with  great  judgments:  and  I  will  take  you 
to  me  for  a  people,  and  I  will  be  to  you  a  God  and  ye  shall  know 
that  I  am  the  Lord  your  God,  which  bringeth  you  out  from  under 
the  burdens  of  the  Egyptians.  And  I  will  bring  you  in  unto  the 
land,  concerning  the  which  I  did  swear  to  give  it  to  Abraham, 
to  Isaac  and  to  Jacob ;  and  I  will  give  you  it  for  an  heritage :  I  am 
the  Lord." 

He  ever  waits  to  fulfill  the  covenant  which  he  has  made  with 
Christ  concerning  us.  If  we  would  have  the  joy  of  salvation,  we 
need  but  two  things :  first,  we  must  believe  God ;  whatever  our 
feelings  may  be,  we  must  believe;  second,  believing  God,  we  must 
act  as  if  we  believed  him.  The  one  gives  us  life.  The  other  gives 
us  joy  in  life's  possession. 


LIVING  LOVE 

By  Rev.  John  Robertson,  D.D. 

Text:  "Unto  him  that  loves  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in 
his  own  blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God 
and  his  Father;  to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen."    Rev.  1:5,  6. 

John  is  in  Patmos  for  the  Word  of  God  and  for  the  testimony 
of  Jesus  Christ — blessed  reason  for  being  anywhere.  His  feet 
are  on  the  silver  sands  of  the  .^Lgean  Sea,  and  it  is  the  hour  when 
thought  is  born.  The  sunset  is  casting  the  long  shadows  of  the 
headland  into  the  ocean,  and  John  in  his  exile  is  taking  a  walk 
with  his  God  in  the  cool  of  the  evening.  And  his  heart  takes 
its  flight  to  Ephesus  where  his  flock  is ;  and  from  Ephesus  takes 
its  flight  to  heaven  where  his  Saviour  is.  And  what  was  that? 
Was  it  the  wind  lifting  up  the  sand  of  the  sea-shore  and  playing 
with  it  as  with  an  ^iblian  harp?  or  was  it  the  moaning  of  the 
waves  round  yonder  cliffs?  or  was  it  the  scream  of  yon  sea-bird? 
or  was  it  the  echo  of  the  revelry  in  the  fishing  village  of  Patmos, 
where  a  wedding  was  to-night? 


330  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

It  is  the  echo  of  the  heavenly  harping  that  John  hears.  There 
come  struggling  by  the  stars  into  this  dull,  foggy,  sin-laden  at- 
mosphere four  bars  of  the  divinest  music  that  he  ever  heard.  And 
he  catches  them,  for  he  has  got  an  ear,  John,  for  the  heavenly 
harpings.  He  catches  the  lilt,  and  going  home  he  bends  over  the 
growing  manuscript  of  Revelation,  and  with  his  stylus  he  puts 
down  what  he  heard  for  his  own  practising,  and  for  yours  and  mine. 
This  is  what  they  are  singing  on  high,  and  what  we  are  training 
for  here.  "Can  you  play  the  fiddle,  John?"  said  the  minister  to 
the  northern  boy.  "I  dinna  ken,  sir ;  I  never  tried,"  said  he.  "Ah, 
my  boy,  if  you  never  tried  that  difficult  instrument,  you  may  just 
as  well  say  you  cannot  do  it."  So,  so,  if  you  never  tried  to  hum 
over  on  earth  the  bars  of  this  song  that  they  sing  in  heaven,  you 
cannot  do  it,  that  is  all.  You  cannot  take  your  place  in  heaven's 
choir  without  the  practising.  The  Conductor  will  look  after  that. 
He  is  not  to  have  his  name  and  fame  bespattered  through  you. 
You  will  have  to  get  it  up  on  earth ;  you  will  have  to  practise  it, 
and  have  all  your  mistakes  over  before  the  Conductor  taps  with  his 
baton  for  the  orchestra  of  heaven  to  take  their  places  and  sing 
to  his  glory. 

That  is  what  we  are  all  doing  down  here ;  you  and  I — blessed  be 
God ! — are  humming  in  our  closets,  are  humming  in  our  places  of 
business,  in  our  offices,  this  glorious  song.  And  there  are  some  of 
us  that  have  already  caught  the  highest,  purest  notes  of  it,  and  the 
Lord  has  said,  "Make  way  for  this  man.  Have  you  got  a  place 
in  the  front  rank,  ye  heavenly  singers,  for  this  saint  that  caught  the 
high  note?"  He  is  ready  for  the  promotion,  and  he  has  gone  home. 
Or  it  is  some  poor  bedridden  saint.  In  her  trouble  and  pain  she 
caught  it,  and  it  was  reported  to  the  Lord  that  there  was  a  fine 
voice  on  earth,  that  a  fine  singer  had  been  discovered  in  the  furnace 
of  time.  And  the  Lord  said,  "Send  for  her,  I  have  got  a  place  for 
her  if  she  has  got  a  voice  that  can  sing  perfectly,  as  ye  say,  this 
song.  Make  way."  And  they  are  all  coming  home  from  the  streets 
of  time,  they  are  all  taking  their  places  with  confirmed  singing 
powers,  with  all  their  mistakes  over ;  and  how  they  sing  it  on  high ! 

Suppose  we  try  this  morning  to  hum  over  the  bars,  and  may  God 
help  us  with  the  harps  of  our  souls  to  sing  it  sincerely  if  not  purely, 
to  sing  it  willingly  if  not  holily.  But  the  Lord  help  us  to  sing  it 
purely  and  willingly  and  holily,  for  his  name's  sake. 

I.  The  first  bar  is  this :  "Unto  him  that  loves  us."  Can  you  sing 
that?  This  is,  in  the  first  place,  the  source  of  salvation  in  eternity. 
"Unto  him  that  loves  us."  When  God  set  out  for  his  journey  of 
redemption  he  must  have  looked  round  the  shelves  of  glory  for  what 
to  take,  as  some  of  you  starting  on  a  journey,  pack  your  bag  or 
portmanteau.  Certain  things  you  take  with  you  for  the  journey. 
So  with  God.    There  are  the  thunders   of   almighty  power.     Is 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  33 1 

he  to  take  these?  No.  He  became  man — poor,  feeble  man,  and 
the  thunders  slept  till  he  came  back.  Is  he  to  take  the  glory 
above  the  sun's  strength?  Is  he  to  take  the  robe  of  uncreated 
light?  No.  He  strips  him  of  the  visible  Godhead.  He  lays  aside 
the  uncreated  Shekinah  manifestation,  but  he  takes  something — 
something  that  heaven  can  give  and  that  earth  needs.  He  dips  his 
almighty  heart  in  love.  He  cannot  do  without  that.  The  hope- 
springs  of  earth  are  dried  up ;  he  will  not  get  love  enough  here,  and 
if  he  is  to  bring  love  he  must  get  it  before  he  starts.  And  so  in 
the  counsels  of  eternity  the  chalice  of  his  heart  is  filled  with  love, 
love  which  is  salvation.  He  comes  with  the  only  qualification  for 
his  great  work  that  he  sees  needful — love  in  his  heart. 

Now  earth  had  seen  love  a  million  times  before,  since  Adam  had 
whispered  the  story  of  his  heart's  adoration  into  the  ear  of  Eve. 
A  million  times  this  earth  had  witnessed  a  heart  beating  with  love. 
And  what  about  that?  Wherein  is  Christ's  love  different  from  the 
love  that  the  sun  had  looked  down  upon  for  a  million  times  a 
million?     Love  had  been  reckoned  with  before. 

It  was  in  Leith,  and  the  sailor  had  never  had  this  feeling  prior 
to  a  voyage  before ;  he  never  had  this  chill  presentiment  of  coming 
disaster  creep  over  his  heart;  and  he  bids  his  wife  and  bairns  good- 
bye up  there  in  the  attic,  and  he  comes  down  to  the  first  landing- 
place.  It  won't  do ;  back  again  for  another  kiss,  for  another  twining 
of  his  eldest  born  round  his  neck,  for  another  look  into  the  dear 
eyes.  He  never  did  this  before ;  he  bids  them  farewell  again. 
Down  to  the  street  this  time,  out  among  the  gas  lamps,  but  he  does 
not  get  round  the  corner;  he  must  go  back.  And  the  wife  hears 
his  step  coming  up  the  stairs,  and  a  chill  for  the  first  time  creeps 
up  to  the  heart.  She  never  saw  him  like  this  before.  He  could 
take  his  farewell  and  go  singing  down  the  stairs  to  the  sea ;  but 
not  so  to-day.  And  he  says,  "Oh,  wife,  I  have  just  come  back 
to  get  a  kiss  of  the  bairnies.  I  feel  very  strange  bidding  you 
good-bye;  I  never  felt  like  this  before."  And  so  he  goes  through 
it  again,  and  the  little  ones  twine  their  arms  round  his  neck,  and 
they  say,  "Good-bye,  papa ;  bring  some  nice  things  from  the  foreign 
land  to  your  little  boy  and  your  little  girl ;  good-bye !"  And  at  last 
he  gets  on  board,  and  "the  boat  she  rocks  at  the  pier  of  Leith," 
and  at  last  takes  her  way.  And  the  wind  rises  and  the  waves 
put  on  their  white  caps  and  roll,  and  they  climb  up  to  see  what  the 
big  vessel  is  like,  and  they  signal  to  the  great  heaving  deep  to 
prepare  for  the  struggle,  and  a  leak  starts,  and  the  vessel,  reeling 
and  rocking  before  the  tempest,  goes  with  a  shudder  to  the  deep. 
And  they  take  from  the  ooze  and  mud  of  that  foreign  shore  the 
limp,  lifeless  body,  and  they  part  the  yellow  hair  of  the  Scottish 
sailor  from  his  white  brow,  and  they  bury  him  on  the  foreign 
shore.     The  widow,  with  her  sad  weeds  upon  her,  is  wearing  herself 


332  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

to  the  very  bone  to  rear  the  sailor's  lads  and  lasses  in  the  fear 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  That  is  human  love.  What  is  it 
when  death  interferes  with  it?  Why,  man,  you  have  to  leave  your 
loved  ones,  you  have  to  leave  the  sunshine  of  your  home,  you  have 
to  go  down  to  the  deep,  you  have  to  list  to  the  flapping  of  the  sail 
and  the  clanking  of  the  oars  in  the  rowlocks ;  you  are  going  away 
from  home,  and  home  is  going  away  from  you.  "Alas  for  love, 
if  thou  wert  all  and  nought  beyond,  O  Death !" 

When  Christ  came  with  his  heart  of  love,  there  was  a  grim 
chuckle  in  hell.  "We  have  seen  love  in  the  human  heart  before," 
and  the  grim  angel  of  death  fluttered  his  black  wings,  and  said,  "I'll 
settle  it.  Has  the  strange  mysterious  Man  brought  only  love  with 
him?  I  have  annihilated  love  a  million  times,  and  I  will  do  it  for 
him  also."  And  the  men  surrounded  him,  and  the  traitor's  kiss 
was  planted  on  his  cheek,  and  the  priests  got  hold  of  him,  and  the 
soldiers  took  him  away,  to  death,  and  his  pale  lips  say,  "It  is 
finished."  And,  true,  they  did  bring  him  from  the  Cross,  a  limp, 
lifeless  body.  The  arms  hung  by  the  side  and  the  head  fell  on 
the  breast  of  the  bearer.  They  put  him  into  a  grave  and  rolled  a 
great  stone  there,  and  they  went  about,  saying,  "He  is  dead — dead  f" 
O  love  in  the  Saviour's  heart,  thou  art  blotted  out  after  all !  Death 
has  interfered  with  love.  And  on  the  way  to  Emmaus  there  are 
two  disciples.  They  are  very  downhearted  this  morning.  They 
are  saying  one  to  th~  other,  "What  an  awful  thing!  We  trusted 
it  had  been  he  who  should  have  redeemed  Israel,  and  to-day  is  the 
third  day,  and  he  is  in  the  grave."  Was  he  dead?  The  Divine 
sleeper  stirs  in  his  sleep.  A  tremor  of  returning  life  runs  through 
his  frame.  He  rises  and  calmly  puts  aside  the  cerements  of  the 
grave,  and  on  the  Sabbath  morning  he  is  risen.  Death  has  lost 
its  power,  and  with  the  love  in  Christ's  heart  Death  has  been  de- 
feated. "O  Death,  where  is  thy  sting?  O  Grave,  where  is  thy 
victory?"  Where  is  it?  Christ  hath  brought  life  and  immortality 
to  light !  And  it  is  that  love  that  you  and  I  need  this  morning, 
the  love  that  Death  hath  no  power  over,  a  deathless  love,  a  love 
that  is  to  exist  and  be  strong  when  yonder  sun  flickers  out  into 
eternal  midnight.  It  is  that  love  that  my  longing  soul  craves  for, 
and  it  is  that  love  that  is  in  Christ's  heart.  It  is  a  deathless  love; 
it  is  a  love  that  you  can  allow  yourselves  to  sail  in.  Human  love ! 
— why,  we  dare  only  creep  from  headland  to  headland ;  we  cannot 
launch  out  into  the  deep,  for  death  is  nigh.  How  many  go  forth 
in  the  morning  and  never  come  back  at  night !  But  in  Christ's 
love  you  can  let  your  soul  go.  You  can  sail  into  the  mighty  ocean 
assured  that  there  is  no  limit,  that  there  is  no  further  shore  to  it, 
that  there  are  no  shoals  to  tear  the  ribs  of  the  vessel  of  your  heart 
asunder.  The  deathless  love  of  Christ,  can  you  sing  it?  "Unto 
him  that  loves  us"  with  a  deathless  love. 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  333 

Ay,  but  there  is  a  worse  thing  than  death  about  love.  He  had 
breathed  his  pledges  of  devotion  into  a  trusting  ear,  and  had  brought 
a  blush  to  the  cheek,  and  he  had  vowed  to  be  true.  He  is  going 
away  to  America.  He  is  to  make  his  fortune  in  that  big  land,  and 
as  soon  as  he  gets  a  nest  cosily  and  comfortably  prepared  he  is 
to  send  for  her.  "Never  fear,  I'll  be  true."  And  he  did  set  sail, 
and  he  did  get  on,  and  eyes — not  fairer,  indeed,  than  the  eyes  he  had 
left  behind — of  an  American  girl  were  turned  on  him.  He  saw 
not  her,  but  her  purse,  and  he  saw  the  chance  of  promotion.  He 
would  wed,  not  her,  but  the  old  father  who  had  the  business.  He 
would  marry  the  dollar  and  bid  the  damsel  to  the  marriage.  And 
so  the  letters  homeward  descended  very  rapidly  from  "Yours  de- 
votedly and  eternally,  and  for  ever  and  ever,"  at  last,  to  "Yours 
truly."  And  what  was  it  in  that  morning  paper,  as  she  turned  the 
leaves  thereof,  made  the  lassie  fall  as  a  huddled  heap  at  the  feet 
of  her  mother?  It  is  this:  "On  such  and  such  a  date,  in  such  and 
such  a  church  in  New  York,  So-and-So  to  So-and-So."  Poor  lassie! 
go  down  to  the  grave  now  with  a  broken  heart.  The  parents 
can  hear  the  drip,  drip,  drip  of  the  heart's  blood  to  the  last.  He 
is  faithless,  his  promises  are  false.  And  that  is  human  love.  You 
cannot  ride  the  water  on  it,  as  we  say  in  the  north;  you  cannot 
trust  it  very  much.  Blessed  are  ye  if  ye  have  got  a  love  in  the 
human  heart  that  ye  can  trust  fully  and  unreservedly.  How  often 
have  promises  written  in  blood  disappeared  as  if  written  in  water 
on  the  sea-shore? 

And  so,  Christ,  Thou  hast  brought  many  promises — that  is  true ; 
and  many  pledges  of  undying  affection — that  is  true.  But  the 
world — this  grim,  heartless  world — has  heard  vows  before,  has  re- 
ceived promises  and  pledges  before.  O  Christ,  what  about  Thine? 
"God  is  not  a  man  that  he  should  lie,  neither  the  son  of  man 
that  he  should  repent.  Hath  he  said  and  shall  he  not  do  it  ?  Hath 
he  spoken  and  shall  he  not  make  it  good?"  Is  there  any  other 
attraction  on  the  other  side  that  Christ  hath  loved  beyond  my  poor 
sinful  heart?  Are  not  the  fields  of  glory  blooming  with  a  thousand 
flowers  that  would  be  proud  to  be  worn  on  Thy  breast?  Wilt  Thou 
be  faithful  on  high,  O  Christ?  Thou  didst  come  to  me  a  poor 
sinner,  and  Thou  didst  cast  Thy  mantle  of  love  over  me,  and  in  the 
silence  Thou  didst  breathe  affection  to  my  heart,  and  Thou  hast  won 
it.  Art  Thou  to  be  faithful?  Is  not  Christ  yearning  and  longing 
for  the  day  when  he  will  welcome  you  to  glory?  Christ's  humilia- 
tion is  not  yet  ended.  His  service  of  heart  is  not  yet  by.  He  is  sad 
and  weary  with  longing  for  the  day  when  he  will  present  me,  fault- 
less, before  the  presence  of  his  Father  with  exceeding  joy.  He  is 
faithful,  beloved,  never  fear.  He  can  get  no  brighter  eyes  meeting 
his  than  your  dim,  blear,  reek-filled  eyes  of  earth.  The  Lord 
has  loved  you  with  an  everlasting  love.     A  mother  may  forget, 


334  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

yet  not  I,  he  says;  a  lover  may  be  false,  yet  not  I.  I  have  loved 
thee  with  an  everlasting  love.  Can  you  sing  it  yet?  Is  it  not  a 
glorious  love — deathless,  faithful,  abiding,  unchanging  amid  the 
wreck  of  matter  and  the  crash  of  worlds?  The  love  of  Christ  will 
outlive  the  sun ;  the  love  of  Christ  will  be  strong  in  mighty  current 
when  the  stars,  the  last  of  them,  pull  a  veil  over  their  faces  and  die. 
The  love  of  Christ  is  the  one  eternal,  abiding,  almighty  force  in 
the  universe.  Can  you  sing  it?  "Unto  him  that  loves  us"  with  a 
deathless,  undying,  unchanging,  abiding,  eternal  love,  to  him  "be 
glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever." 

II.  Then,  in  the  second  place,  we  have  in  these  four  bars  of 
heavenly  music,  the  effect  of  salvation  in  time.  The  first  was 
the  source  of  salvation  in  eternity ;  the  second  is  the  fact  of  salvation 
in  time.  The  stream  runs  from  the  hillside  to  the  valley,  and  it  gets 
deep,  and  wide,  and  broad,  and  the  masts  of  the  navy  of  a  com- 
mercial city  are  reflected  in  its  fair  bosom.  So  with  the  love  of 
God.  It  came  rushing  out  of  the  pearly  gates  a  mighty  torrent, 
and  it  came  down  to  the  valley  and  expanded  there  into  a  broad 
lake,  and  the  love  has  become  a  fact  in  time.  And  the  way  it  has 
become  a  fact  is  this :  The  love  has  washed  us  in  the  precious  blood 
of  Christ.  Strange  effect  of  love,  the  washing!  strange  result 
of  the  affection  of  the  Lord !  The  washing — you,  mother,  can 
understand  it.  Your  little  son  has  been  out  all  the  summer  day. 
He  has  had  splendid  fun.  Oh,  what  enjoyment!  And  he  has 
stayed  out  till  the  shadows  have  fallen,  and  he  is  very  tired,  tired 
even  of  amusement.  He  comes  into  the  house  where  love  is,  and 
what  does  love  do?  Oh,  he  is  very  sleepy;  just  let  him  go  to  bed. 
"Mother,  I  am  awfully  sleepy;  I  am  not  for  any  supper;  indeed,  I 
am  so  tired."  But  love  has  something  to  say,  love  has  some  action 
to  go  through,  before  the  dirty  little  boy  can  get  between  the  clean 
sheets.  Love  draws  out  the  bath  into  the  middle  of  the  floor, 
and  love  puts  the  towels  there,  and  love  puts  the  soap  there,  and 
love  catches  hold  of  the  little  fellow's  collar,  and  in  spite  of  grum- 
bling, in  spite  of  the  little  fellow's  bad  temper — for  he  is  sleepy,  God 
help  him — plunges  him  into  the  bath,  and  love  takes  him  out  splut- 
tering, but  clean.  So  with  God.  Oh,  how  foul  we  were,  how  the 
streets  of  time  had  left  their  defilement  on  our  spirit.  What  must 
love  do  in  the  first  place?  "Oh,"  says  one,  "love  will  just  please 
wink  and  take  us,  bad  as  we  are,  into  heaven;  love  will  open  wide 
the  pearly  gates,  and  let  us  all  as  we  are,  unwashed,  foul, 
unclean,  into  heaven."  Would  love  do  such  a  thing?  How 
can  a  soul  in  all  its  vileness  get  into  heaven  without  washing? 
That  is  the  problem  that  God  had  to  set  to  solve.  How  can  man 
be  just  with  God?  How  can  the  sinful  soul  get  into  heaven 
without  washing?  Nay,  nay.  There  must  be  ablution,  there  must 
be  washing,  and  what  is  to  do  it?    A  thousand  rivers — have  they 


-  -      - 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  335 

water  enough  to  cleanse  a  sinful  heart?  What  is  necessary? 
What  did  God  find  and  feel  to  be  necessary?  What  is 
that  awful  tinge  that  reddens  the  waves  of  the  laver  of 
regeneration?  What  is  this  mysterious  chemical,  Thou,  God,  art 
putting  there?  Why  this  agony  of  Thy  beloved  Son?  Why  the 
open  Side,  why  the  pierced  Hands  and  Feet,  why  the  Blood? 
"Without  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remission,"  says  God.  Do 
you  think  that  God  would  have  shed  the  precious  Blood  of  his 
Son  had  it  not  been  necessary?  Was  it  superfluous?  Was  it  a 
mere  superfluous  reddening  of  the  laver?  It  was  necessary,  God 
saw  it. 

"What  can  wash  away  my  sin? 

Nothing  but  the  blood  of  Jesus. 
What  can  make  me  whole  again? 

Nothing  but  the  blood  of  Jesus." 

And  that  is  what  love  did.  If  you  turn  to  the  Revised  Version, 
you  will  see  that  the  wise  men  of  the  West  have  wisely  put  the 
word  "loosed"  for  "washing."  It  is  the  same  idea,  but  more  vig- 
orously expressed.  Sometimes  when  the  dirt  sticks  you  take  pumice 
stone,  or  something  that  will  rub  or  scrape.  And  so  the  Greek 
word  shows  that  God's  washing  is  so  effectual,  the  blood  of  Jesus 
is  so  powerful  in  its  cleansing,  that  it  is  more  like  cutting  off, 
it  is  more  like  excising  and  putting  aside.  The  word  is  a  strong 
word — loosing,  cutting  us  out  from  our  sins  by  his  precious  blood. 
And  in  this  washing  the  very  skin  is  gone.  You  must  be  clean 
if  you  have  gone  to  the  quick,  and,  if  God's  washing  has  rubbed 
the  very  skin  off,  it  is  all  right.  There  is  no  room  for  more  defile- 
ment. The  Greek  word  then  is,  "Unto  him  that  looseth  us  from 
our  sins  with  his  own  blood."  When  the  English  folk  hunted 
away  our  Bruce,  they  were  not  content  with  their  own  great,  grand, 
glorious  plains,  they  would  have  liked  our  mountainous  little  country, 
but  they  did  not  get  it !  Bruce  stood  up,  and  they  went  after  him, 
and  they  put  his  own  bloodhounds  on  his  track,  and  with  nostrils 
bent  to  the  ground  the  brutes  followed  their  royal  master,  unaware 
that  they  were  tracking  him  to  his  death;  and  the  English  came 
after,  and  they  urged  the  hounds  on  and  on.  Bruce  heard  the  dis- 
tant baying  of  his  own  beloved  pack  behind  him,  and  the  attendant 
said,  "We  are  done  for,  the  English  have  unleashed  the  hounds, 
and  they  are  on  your  trail,  and  they  will  betray  your  hiding-place." 
"Stop  a  bit,"  says  Bruce,  "it's  all  right."  There  is  a  stream  flowing 
through  the  forest,  and  he  goes  to  it,  and  he  plunges  into  the 
stream  and  wades  three  bowshots  up,  and  then  into  the  depths  of 
the  forest.  The  hounds  come  up  to  the  bank,  tracking  step  by 
step  their  beloved  master.     But  no  further.     "Urge  them  on  and 


336  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

see  the  hounds  over  that  little  brook,  and  get  up  the  trail."  They 
cannot.  The  pursuers  may  urge  them,  and  may  whip  them,  may 
lash  them,  may  spear  them,  but  they  are  done  for.  The  trail  is 
broken.  The  stream  has  carried  the  scent  of  the  king  far  downward. 
And  Bruce,  one  day  soon  after,  puts  the  crown  of  Scotland  on  his 
own  brow.  So  my  sins,  urged  by  the  devil,  came  behind  me,  a 
yelling  pack.  I  felt  their  hot  breath  as  I  fled,  and  they  vowed  to 
have  me.  But  a  stream,  not  glassy  and  clear,  but  red  with  the 
blood  of  the  Son  of  God,  came  by  my  feet.  I  plunged  in,  through 
God's  grace,  and  I  can  stand  on  the  other  bank  and  defy  every  hell- 
hound of  my  past  to  touch  me.  That  is  it!  The  scent  is  lost, 
blessed  be  God.  The  trail  of  the  past — where  is  it?  It  is  broken  in 
the  blood  of  Christ. 

"I  plunged  and  am  cleansed,  I  plunged  and  am  free ; 
I  plunged  in  the  crimson  tide  flowing  for  me. 
From  sin  and  uncleanness  exulting  I  stand ! 
And  point  to  the  prints  of  the  nails  in  his  hand. 
Oh,  sing  of  his  mighty  love, 
Sing  of  his  mighty  love, 
Sing  of  his  mighty  love, 
Mighty  to  save." 

Can  you  sing  it,  the  glorious  second  part  of  this  glorious  song? 

III.  Then  the  third  bar,  you  notice,  is  this — the  effect  of  salva- 
tion on  man.  "And  hath  made  us  kings."  We  crouch,  a  slave,  to 
the  Cross,  but  we  give  three  leaps  from  it,  and  tread  to  heaven  with 
the  tramp  of  a  king.  The  Cross  gives  dignity,  the  Cross  gives 
royalty,  to  the  saved  heart.  Christ  crowns  us  when  the  heart  ac- 
cepts him.  We  are  kings,  and  we  have  a  country.  We  are  not 
like  John  Lackland,  for  a  king  must  have  a  kingdom.  We  are 
kings  from  the  Cross,  and  what  is  our  kingdom?  It  is  our  heart, 
our  own  soul,  that  is  our  kingdom.  "Didn't  God  promise  us  the 
land?"  lightly  said  a  doubting,  unbelieving  soldier  to  his  comrade, 
as  they  crossed  the  Jordan ;  "Isn't  this  the  Jehovah-promised  land  ? 
our  land?  and  here  we  are  preparing  for  battle.  Why  are  we  not 
going  into  the  vineyards  to  eat  and  drink  our  fill?  Why  are  we 
in  armour — why  has  the  word  come  to  up  and  at  them?  This 
is  our  land.  Are  we  not  over  the  Jordan?"  Ay,  but  over  the 
Jordan  is  not  up  at  Jerusalem.  Never  forget  you  have  to  foot  it 
and  fight  it  that  road — inch  by  inch,  cubit  by  cubit.  Your  great 
country  of  Promise  has  to  be  conquered  by  your  own  little  fist  of 
Fulfilling.  So  with  your  heart.  It  is  the  promised  land,  it  is  the 
promised  land,  but  you  have  to  fight  for  it.  You  have,  as  a  con- 
queror, to  make  the  plains  of  your  own  soul  reverberate  with  your 
own  tread.     Joshua  said  of  the  five  kings,  "Just  put  them  into  the 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  337 

cave  alive,  and  don't  waste  time  over  them,"  and  they  put  them 
into  the  cave  of  Makkedah,  and  pursued  the  foe  till  sunset.  After 
they  had  wiped  the  sweat  from  their  brow  and  the  blood  from  their 
swords  they  came  back.  "Now,"  says  Joshua — and  it  is  Jesus,  the 
Old  Testament  Jesus  in  holy  symbol  that  we  see — "Now,"  says 
Joshua,  "roll  away  the  stone  of  the  place,"  and  they  rolled  away 
the  stone.  "Bring  the  five  kings  out,"  he  says,  and  they  come  out. 
How  crestfallen,  how  slave-like,  how  puny  they  look!  "Now," 
says  he  to  the  captains  of  the  host,  "come  near  and  put  your  feet 
on  the  necks  of  those  kings."  And  they  came  near  and  put  their 
feet  on  the  necks  of  those  kings.  So  says  Jesus  to  me  when  he 
forgives  me,  when  he  washes  me  in  his  precious  blood,  when  he 
looses  me  from  my  sinful  past.  Old  habits,  come  out!  old  sins, 
passions,  lusts,  come  out !  "Put  your  feet  on  the  necks  of  them," 
says  Christ,  and  I,  by  the  grace  of  God,  put  my  feet  on  old  habits, 
old  sins,  old  passions,  and  am  king  over  my  own  heart  "And  hath 
made  us  kings." 

And  it  is  the  priest's  service  that  God  accepts  and  needs  to-day. 
It  is  the  profession  of  adoration,  it  is  the  song  of  praise  from  my 
heart  that  he  cannot  get  from  the  harps  of  heaven.  It  is  this, 
that  you  and  I  should  just  tell  him  more  that  we  love  him.  You 
know  they  say  a  Scotchman  never  tells  his  wife  he  loves  her  till 
he  is  just  dying.  Well,  it  is  a  pity,  a  great  pity.  In  this  world 
he  would  be  happier  and  she  would  be  happier,  if  he  would  tell 
his  love  into  the  ear  while  it  can  hear.  He  was  a  rough  fellow, 
Jack,  the  terror  of  the  Aberdeenshire  village.  A  "ne'er-do-weel," 
in  every  scrape  he,  always  in  trouble,  always  in  hot  water,  the  ter- 
ror of  the  whole  country-side,  rough,  swearing  Jack.  His  mother's 
heart  was  nigh  broken  over  it,  and  she  was  a  widow,  and  he  her 
only  son.  And  he  slipped  out  one  night  and  took  ship  at  Aberdeen 
without  telling  his  mother  or  anybody.  He  went  away  to  Australia 
and  into  the  bush  dived  he,  lived  a  rough  godless  life  as  a  gold- 
digger,  and  at  last  one  day  he  is  a  millionaire,  a  rich  man.  Un- 
speakably rich  those  nuggets  have  made  him.  And  a  great  rush 
of  emotion  comes  to  his  heart.  "I'll  away  home ;  I'll  make  mother 
proud  of  her  boy  now.  I  will  buy  the  estate  beside  the  village,  and 
I'll  take  dear  mother.  How  she  has  borne  with  me!  How  she 
will  be  proud  when  I  come  in  the  carriage  for  her  and  bring  her 
to  the  mansion,  and  say,  'These  broad  lands  are  mine  and  thine,  dear 
mother.' "  And  all  the  way  home  he  was  pacing  the  deck,  and 
he  was  saying  what  a  surprise  it  would  be  to  the  old  body !  How 
proud  she  would  be,  and  how  the  villagers  would  wonder  that  the 
ne'er-do-weel  had  turned  out  pretty  well  after  all.  Who  is  this 
that  comes  staggering  into  the  peat  firelight  of  the  old  kitchen  in 
this  neighboring  farmhouse?  What  drunken — but  not  with  wine 
— staggering  man  reels  his  way  to  a  chair  at  the  fire?     The  as- 


338  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

sembled  household  look  in  wonder  upon  him.  He  left  a  beardless 
young  boy;  here  is  a  brown-tanned  foreigner.  "Don't  you  know 
me?  Where's  mother?"  Approaching  the  village,  he  had  come  in 
sight  of  that  saddest  of  all  sights,  and  that  is  too  frequent  in  our 
beloved  Scotland — two  bare  gables,  as  if  in  bitter  mockery,  appeal- 
ing to  a  dumb  God  on  high,  who  witnesses  evictions  and  yet  is 
silent.  The  fields  and  the  little  croft  have  been  added  to  the  big 
farm.  "Mother!  I'll  take  you  on  the  morrow  and  show  you 
where  mother  is."  And  he  came  to  the  churchyard  by  the  river, 
and  his  friend  said,  "Just  in  yonder  corner,  Jack;  you  see  where 
the  lilies  are;  we  planted  them  for  your  sake — just  there."  And 
the  friend  heard  this  before  he  turned  away  from  where  angels 
would  fear  to  tread — the  strong  man  flung  himself  on  the  grass 
and  said,  "Oh,  mother!  I  did  love  you,  mother!"  But  mother 
was  away.  "Jack,  you  lost  the  chance,  man.  She  pined  visibly 
for  her  boy.  There  was  no  letter.  No,  you  were  too  late,  Jack." 
And  the  friend  catches  sometimes  a  sigh,  a  far-away  look  in  the 
face,  and  he  is  silent  as  he  well  knows  that  Jack  is  back  to  the  green 
grave,  back  to  the  lilies,  is  back  to  the  dear  mother  who  never  heard 
from  her  wilful  boy.  "O  mother,  I  did  love  you."  And  yet  he 
did  let  her  go  without  knowing  it.     Oh,  her  sad  loneliness. 

So  the  Lord  Jesus,  beloved,  is  longing  for  you  and  me,  in  time, 
while  we  have  the  opportunity,  just  to  tell  him.  His  ear  is  bent 
down;  he  is  longing  for  you  and  me  to  say — 

"My  Jesus,  I  love  Thee,  I  know  Thou  art  mine, 
For  Thee  all  the  pleasures  of  sin  I  resign ; 
My  gracious  Redeemer,  my  Saviour  art  Thou: 
If  ever  I  loved  Thee,  my  Jesus,  'tis  now." 

Go  home,  then,  beloved,  to  your  own  room,  and  kneel  down  and 
say  in  this  holy  priesthood  of  thine,  "Lord  Jesus,  I  adore  Thee,  I 
love  Thee;  to  Thee  be  the  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen." 


THE  HESITATING  SOUL 

By  Rev.  David  James  Burrell,  D.D.,  L.L.D. 

Text:  "If  ye  know  these  things,  happy  are  ye  if  ye  do  them." 
John  13:17. 

I  speak  to  the  man  or  woman  who  means  to  accept  Christ  some 
time,  but  wants  to  know  more  about  the  Gospel  before  doing  so. 

Can  this  be  offered  as  a  valid  reason  for  putting  off  the  Great 
Decision?    Let  us  see. 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  339 

To  begin  with,  there  are  some  things  that  nobody  knows.  The 
germinative  process  of  life  is  only  one  of  ten  thousand  mysteries 
that  laugh  at  the  most  resolute  scrutiny  of  science.  Of  making 
many  books — covering  the  little  that  we  know — there  is  no  end ; 
but  if  the  things  that  we  do  not  know  were  to  be  published,  the  book- 
shelves of  the  world  could  not  contain  them. 

And  there  are  many  things  which  can  never  be  found  out.  In 
my  boyhood  I  once  met  Professor  Morse,  the  inventor  of  the  elec- 
tric telegraph,  and  asked  him:  "What  is  electricity?"  I  supposed 
that  he  would  define  it ;  but  his  answer  was,  "I  don't  know ;  and 
what's  more,  I  doubt  if  anybody  will  ever  find  out."  Ten  years 
ago  I  put  the  same  question  to  Mr.  Marconi,  the  inventor  of  wire- 
less telegraphy,  and  with  precisely  the  same  result.  If  this  be  so 
with  respect  to  the  simple  problems  that  lie  within  the  province  of 
the  physical  senses,  what  should  we  naturally  expect  of  the  mys- 
teries that  lie  beyond,  in  the  illimitable  world  of  spiritual  things? 

But  there  are  some  things  that  we  do  know ;  which  are  like  the 
axioms  in  mathematics ;  such  as  "two  and  two  make  four,"  and  "a 
straight  line  is  the  shortest  distance  between  two  points."  These  are 
called  "self-evident  facts,"  because  they  require  no  proving.  A  wise 
man  who  is  really  intent  on  the  quest  of  knowledge  will  take  rudi- 
mental  truths  for  granted  and,  laying  them  down  as  postulates,  move 
on  to  larger  things. 

If  this  is  the  part  of  wisdom  in  the  common  affairs  of  life,  how 
much  more  in  the  larger  problems  of  religion,  which  have  to  do  with 
our  eternal  destiny  ?  So  it  is  written,  "Let  us  leave  the  principles  of 
doctrine  (that  is,  the  simple  elemental  facts  which  are  in  the  nature 
of  intuitions)  and  go  on  unto  perfection."  (Heb.  6:  1.) 

It  is  my  purpose  now  to  point  out  some  of  these  religious  axioms, 
which  are  really  held  in  common  by  all  who  live  in  Gospel  light. 
Many  who  hesitate  to  accept  Christ  for  want  of  further  knowledge 
are  really  deceiving  themselves  and  hiding  in  a  mere  subterfuge. 
They  know  enough  to  lead  them  to  the  Cross,  were  it  not  for  the  out- 
standing fact  that  the  Cross  itself  is  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way 
of  spiritual  and  eternal  life. 

I.  The  first  axiom  is  God.  You  believe  in  a  God,  because  you 
can't  help  it.  Not  that  the  existence  of  God  is  never  denied.  In 
the  Corps  Legislatif,  during  the  Reign  of  Terror  in  France,  it  was 
solemnly  resolved,  "That  there  is  no  God,"  but  presently,  when  the 
gutters  of  Paris  were  running  red  with  blood,  the  legislators  made 
all  possible  haste  to  rescind  it.  There  are  others  who  deny  God  by 
excluding  him  from  their  lives ;  as  it  is  written,  "The  fool  hath  said 
in  his  heart,  There  is  no  God."  But  there  are  few  avowed  atheists 
in  these  days ;  and  surely  you  are  not  among  them. 

If  you  really  want  evidence  in  these  premises  you  can  find  it  in 
any  of  our  Theological  Seminaries,  where  professors  will  surfeit  you 


340  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

with  ontological  and  cosmological  and  telelogical  arguments  for  the 
being  of  God ;  but  the  average  man — even  the  Zulu  who  bows  down 
before  a  fetich  in  the  jungle — takes  this  as  a  self-evident  fact. 

II.  The  second  axiom  is  Immortality.  Jesus  said,  "How  much 
better  is  a  man  than  a  sheep  ?"  By  just  this  much,  that  God  breathed 
into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life  and  made  him  a  living  soul.  A 
man  is,  therefore,  as  immortal  as  God  is,  because  the  life  in  him  is 
a  spark  thrown  off  from  the  inextinguishable  life  of  God. 

Of  course  there  are  people  who  deny  this.  They  will  tell  you 
that  "death  ends  all :"  but  they  don't  believe  it.  The  wish  is  father 
of  the  thought.  Go  with  hie  along  the  Avenue  until  we  come  to  a 
house  bearing  the  sign  "To  Let."  Suppose  I  say,  "My  friend,  isn't 
it  frightful  that  a  whole  family  should  be  annihilated  in  that  way  ?' 
You  would  lift  your  eyebrows  and  reply,  "What  do  you  mean  ?  'Ex- 
terminated?' Oh,  no;  they  have  simply  moved  out."  Suppose  we 
go  on  to  the  next  house  where  there  is  crepe  on  the  door.  Let  us 
enter  and  look  at  a  face  whereon  death  has  left  its  pale  impress. 
Will  you  tell  me  that  the  living  man  who  has  moved  out  of  this 
tenement  of  flesh  has  ceased  to  be?  Then  I  will  answer  that  your 
logic  is  as  fallacious  and  sophisticated  as  mine  was  when  I  intimated 
that  the  family  next  door  was  exterminated.  The  man  whose  name 
is  on  this  casket  was  alive  yesterday;  and  the  presumption  is  al- 
ways in  favor  of  the  status  quo.  The  tenant  of  the  vacant  house 
has  simply  moved  out.  If  not,  it  devolves  upon  you  to  prove  it. 
But  immortality  needs  no  argument.  Ask  yourself,  "If  a  man  die, 
will  he  live  again  ?"  and  instantly  there  is  a  voice  within  you  calling 
back,  "I  shall  live  and  not  die !" 

III.  The  third  of  the  axioms  is  Responsibility.  I  am  a  normal 
being:  that  is,  made  under  law.  You  call  it  the  moral  law  or  the 
law  of  your  being,  as  you  will ;  in  any  case,  we  are  under  bonds  to 
keep  it.  If  this  fact  be  questioned,  listen  to  the  voice  of  conscience 
"accusing  or  else  excusing  you."  This  is  the  monitor  that  enables 
us,  as  Plato  said,  "to  discern  betwixt  the  worse  and  better  reason ;" 
and  you  cannot  get  away  from  it. 

This  truth,  however,  is  flatly  denied  by  a  certain  class  of  senti- 
mental reformers  who  ask  immunity  for  all  manner  of  criminals  on 
the  ground  that  they  "couldn't  help  it."  A  drunkard  is  a  dipso- 
maniac and  a  thief  is  a  kleptomaniac,  and,  "Poor  fellows,  they  can't 
help  it."  But  the  thief  and  the  drunkard  know  better.  The  judge  on 
the  bench  would  find  his  occupation  gone  if  moral  responsibility 
were  so  easily  bowed  out  of  doors.  Our  courts  of  justice,  jails  and 
reformatories  would  all  be  superfluous  were  it  not  for  the  com- 
mon sense  which  insists  that  those  who  do  wrong  must  suffer 
for  it. 

IV.  The  fourth  axiom  is  Sin.  There  are  only  two  kinds  of  people 
who  deny  personal  sin.    On  the  one  hand,  there  are  perfectionists  in 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  341 

the  church  who  profess  to  be  living  blameless  lives ;  but  their  most 
intimate  friends  give  them  little  or  no  credit  for  it.  (See  1  John  1 : 
8-10.)  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  moralists  outside  the  church,  who 
insist  that  their  lives  are  so  far  beyond  criticism  as  to  require  no 
pardoning  grace. 

It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  either  perfectionists  or  moralists  are 
sincere  in  their  claims.  For  we  need  but  to  inquire  within  to  hear 
the  self-convicting  voice.  "The  Lord  looked  down  from  heaven  to 
see  if  there  was  any  that  wrought  righteousness;  and  behold,  there 
is  none  that  doeth  good,  no,  not  one."  And  if  there  were,  neither 
you  nor  I,  certainly,  would  claim  to  be  that  one. 

V.  The  fifth  axiom  is  Salvation.  This  is  affirmed  as  a  self- 
evident  fact,  because  we  know  that  if  there  is  a  God  anywhere  in 
the  universe — that  is,  a  God  with  a  heart — he  could  not  see  his 
children  go  wrong  without  making  bare  his  arm  to  deliver  them 
from  the  power  and  penalty  of  sin. 

One  of  the  significant  names  of  Christ  is  "the  Arm  of  the  Lord 
made  bare."  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten 
Son  to  suffer  and  die  in  our  behalf.  This  you  learned  at  your 
mother's  knee:  and — twist  your  intellectuals  as  you  will — you  can- 
not escape  it.    Nor  do  you  really  want  to. 

The  men  and  women  to  whom  I  speak  believe  in  Christ  at  least 
as  an  historic  fact.  They  have  an  intellectual  apprehension  of  him 
as  the  Saviour,  and  more  than  that — as  the  only  Saviour.  They 
need  not  be  reminded  that  in  all  the  false  religions  and  philosophies 
of  the  world  there  cannot  be  found  a  single  hint  or  suggestion  of 
any  remedy  for  the  universal,  malignant,  fatal  malady  of  sin.  They 
need  no  argument  to  show  that  the  Gospel  proposes  to  remove  the 
handicap  of  life  by  blotting  out  the  record  of  the  mislived  past; 
and  that  no  other  plan  has  ever  been  suggested  for  doing  so.  They 
stand  beside  Peter,  who,  when  Christ  asked,  "Will  ye  also  go  away  ?" 
replied,  "Lord,  to  whom  can  we  go  but  unto  thee?  Thou  hast  the 
words  of  eternal  life."  And  yet — strange  to  say — they  hesitate  to 
accept  him ! 

VI.  The  sixth  axiom  is  Justification  by  Faith,  which  is  expressed 
in  the  terms:  "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life; 
and  he  that  believeth  not,  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him."  This 
is  denied  by  the  Universalists.  If  any  man  be  a  "Universalist"  I 
more.  I  believe  in  Universal  Salvation  just  as  I  believe  in  Universal 
Suffrage.  Every  man  in  America  has  a  right  to  the  elective  fran- 
chise, if  he  choose  to  accept  it.  But  you  can  live  next  door  to  the 
polls  all  your  life,  and  if  you  don't  cast  the  ballot,  you  are  no  better 
for  it.  If  you  are  an  immigrant  the  franchise  is  yours  for  nothing; 
but  on  certain  conditions.  If  you  do  not  take  out  your  naturaliza- 
tion papers,  you  will  never  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States. 

The  same  holds  true  of  Universal  Salvation.     It  is  written  that 


342  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

"Christ  tasted  death  for  every  man."  This  makes  all  men  salvable ; 
so  that  whosoever  will  may  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely.  But 
he  must  take.  God  can  make  salvation  free,  but  he  cannot  force  it 
upon  us.  Ours  is  the  inevitable  and  inalienable  power  of  choice. 
The  air  is  free,  but  we  must  breathe  it.  Sunlight  is  free,  but  we  can 
shut  our  eyes  against  it.  Water  is  free,  but  a  man  may  stand,  like 
Tantalus,  in  water  up  to  his  lips  and  die  of  thirst  unless  he  drinks 
it.  The  grace  of  God  which  bringeth  salvation  is  free,  in  like  man- 
ner; but  there  is  one  condition  fixed  to  its  benefits,  in  the  necessity 
of  the  case;  namely,  that  we  shall  accept  it.  Faith  is  simply  the 
appropriating  hand  stretched  out. 

But  just  here  is  where  many  a  man  falls  down.  The  Lord  offers 
all  the  riches  of  eternal  life  for  the  taking,  and  men  refuse  to  take  it. 
Thus  life  goes  by  default.  The  prodigal  in  the  far  country  knew 
all  the  while  that  his  father's  house  was  open  to  receive  him ;  but  he 
would  have  lived  and  died  in  that  far  country,  wasting  his  sub- 
stance and  feeding  swine,  had  not  he  come  to  himself  in  a  fortunate 
moment,  and  said,  "I  will  arise  and  go !" 

VII.  There  is  a  seventh  axiom  which  must  not  be  omitted, 
namely,  "Procrastination  is  the  thief  of  time."  You  mean  to  accept 
Christ  some  day.  You  would  not  for  a  moment  admit  that  you  in- 
tend to  live  and  die  without  him. 

In  a  ministry  of  over  forty  years  I  have  been  summoned  to  many 
sick-chambers ;  and  I  have  never  seen  a  Christian  pass  on  to  the 
Great  Beyond  without  a  profound  joy  in  the  Gospel  and  a  heart  full 
of  the  peace  that  passeth  all  understanding;  nor  have  I  ever  seen  a 
non-Christian  die  without  grieving  over  the  neglect  of  his  many 
opportunities  of  accepting  Christ.  We  all  mean  well ;  but  we  post- 
pone and  again  and  again  postpone  the  settlement  of  the  most  im- 
portant question  that  ever  confronts  us. 

"Tomorrow,  and  tomorrow,  and  tomorrow; 
Creeps  in  this  petty  pace  from  day  to  day 
To  the  last  syllable  of  recorded  time ; 
And  all  our  yesterdays  have  lighted  fools 
The  way  to  dusty  death." 

If  you  were  going  to  take  a  train  and,  hearing  the  conductor  call, 
"All  aboard !"  should  stand  on  the  platform  reluctant  and  hesitating, 
you  would  get  left  and  have  none  to  blame  but  yourself  for  it.  Just 
there  is  where  you  are  standing  now. 

Let  me  lay  down  this  proposition :  Not  to  decide  is  to  decide  not. 
How  does  that  strike  you?  Not  to  decide  for  Christ  is  to  decide 
against  him.  Do  you  still  hesitate?  It  is  a  true  proverb,  "The  road 
By-and-by  leads  to  the  house  Never."  That  which  is  right  to  be 
done,  cannot  rightly  be  put  off. 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  343 

In  each  man's  life  there  comes  a  time  supreme, 
One  day,  one  night,  one  morning  or  one  noon, 
One  freighted  hour,  one  moment  opportune, 

One  rift  through  which  sublime  fulfilments  gleam, 

One  space  when  fate  goes  tiding  with  the  stream, 
One  Once,  in  balance  'twixt  Too  Late,  Too  Soon, 
And  ready  for  the  passing  instant's  boon 

To  tip  in  favor  the  uncertain  beam. 

Ah,  happy  he  who,  knowing  how  to  wait, 

Knows  also  how  to  watch,  and  work  and  stand 
On  life's  broad  deck  alert,  and  at  the  prow 

To  seize  the  passing  moment,  big  with  fate, 
From  Opportunity's  extended  hand, 
When  the  great  clock  of  destiny  strikes  Now ! 

A  soldier  on  sentry  duty  picked  up  a  scrap  of  paper  on  which  was 
printed  the  familiar  hymn :  "We're  traveling  home  to  heaven  above ; 
will  you  go?  Will  you  go?"  He  had  long  been  thinking,  hoping, 
hesitating,  and  now  resolved  to  make  an  end  of  it.  Under  the  hymn 
he  wrote,  "By  the  grace  of  God,  I'll  go.  John  Waugh,  Company 
Y.,  U.  S.  Volunteers.  June  26,  1863."  And  at  the  next  meeting  in 
the  chaplain's  tent  he  announced  his  acceptance  of  Christ.  Does 
any  one  imagine  for  a  moment  that  he  ever  regretted  it? 


AWAKE!  ARISE! 

By  Rev.  John  McNeill,  D.D. 

Text:  "Awake  thou  that  steepest,  and  arise  from  the  dead,  and 
Christ  shall  give  thee  light."    Eph.  5  :  14. 

"Awake  thou  that  sleepest."  We  have  this  in  substance  and  in 
different  forms  elsewhere,  but  in  actual  form  here.  Luther  said, 
you  remember,  that  certain  texts  were  little  Bibles.  For  instance, 
"God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  on  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life."  Well,  that  is  a  little  Bible.  And  another  one  is  like  unto  it: 
"Behold  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock;  if  any  man  hear  my  voice, 
let  him  open  the  door,  and  I  will  come  in,  and  sup  with  him,  and  he 
with  me."  And  I  think  this  is  one,  too,  at  any  rate,  this  is  a  text 
which  is  a  little  sermon :  "Awake  thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from 
the  dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light."  That  is  an  evangelistic 
text ;  it  is  an  evangelistic  address ;  it  is  put  in  the  very  form  that 
conveys  it  to  the  people  to  whom  you  are  talking.  Now  here  is  a 
text  that  is  a  sermon.    You  may  forget  what  I  say,  but  I  want  you 


344  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

to  remember  the  text.  I  would  put  the  trumpet  to  my  lips  and 
sound  this  text  over  and  over  again,  "Awake  thou  that  sleepest, 
and  arise  from  the  dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light." 

There  is  the  sinner  described ;  there  is  the  sinner  addressed ;  there 
is  the  sinner  pointed  to  the  Saviour.    What  more  would  you  have? 

I.  "Awake  thou  that  sleepest."  See  how  the  sinner  3  described 
here,  and  the  backslider,  for  the  backslider  has  just  gone  back  again 
into  sin,  and  has  lost  communion  with  his  Saviour,  and  needs  to  be 
called  back  by  the  Word  by  which  he  was  brought  at  first  out  of 
darkness  into  light.  He  needs  to  be  recovered.  See  how  our  life 
away  from  Christ,  the  life  of  unbelief,  the  life  of  worldliness,  the 
life  of  sin  that  you  are  living,  is  described  here  as  a  life  of  sleep. 
Elsewhere  the  figure  is  changed,  and  it  is  described  as  death.  The 
Bible  often  changes  its  figures.  "Awake  thou  that  sleepest."  The 
man  who  is  not  converted,  the  soul  here  that  is  not  walking  in  the 
light  of  Christ's  grace,  is  asleep ;  you  are  like  one  who  at  twelve 
o'clock  in  the  day  is  still  soundly  snoring  on  his  bed.  It  is  not  a 
complimentary  description,  is  it?  The  Bible  never  was  complimen- 
tary to  a  sinner ;  the  Bible  always  speaks  the  plain,  bare  truth.  That 
is  why  folks  don't  like  the  Bible,  and  don't  like  the  preacher.  If, 
my  dear  friends,  you  have  big  notions  about  yourself,  and  you  think, 
oh,  well,  you  may  be  a  sinner,  but  you  are  a  superior  sort  of  a 
sinner,  then  you  need  not  come  to  hear  me,  and  you  need  not  attend 
any  preacher  of  the  Bible,  for  you  will  never  get  those  big  notions 
flattered,  you  will  get  them  contradicted.  "Awake  thou  that  sleep- 
est." And  I  can  imagine  a  man  saying,  "Oh,  this  is  overdone,  you 
know;  we  must  draw  the  line  at  this."  You  say,  "I  have  been 
here  every  night,  McNeill,  and  one  night  you  called  me  a  leper, 
another  night  blind,  and  another  night  paralytic ;  and  now  you  have 
it  that  I  am  snoring; — these  are  surely  rather  hard  speeches."  But 
it  is  the  Bible ;  I  stand  on  the  Bible  every  time,  and  the  Bible  said  it 
all  to  me  first.  I  kicked  against  it  just  like  my  neighbors,  but  found 
it  true,  and  I  am  not  going  to  let  you  off.  Not  only  does  the  Bible 
back  me  up,  but  my  own  experience  does,  and  plenty  of  people  also, 
who  first  of  all  were  ruffled  by  God's  Word  and  irritated;  but  bye- 
and-bye  they  found  out  that  the  Bible  was  a  faithful  friend.  Be- 
cause the  Bible  loved  them,  it  dared  their  rebuke  and  told  them  the 
truth.  "Yes,  yes,"  you  say,  "but  I  draw  the  line  at  that;  I  do  not 
think  I  am  asleep."  You  say  to  me,  "If  you  only  knew  the  people 
who  know  me,  they  would  tell  you  that  I  am  rather  wide-awake;  I 
am  not  one  of  your  sleepy  chicks ;  I  am  a  wide-awake  person."  Well, 
I  have  not  denied  it ;  I  believe,  in  the  affairs  of  this  world,  you  are 
very  wide-awake.  A  man  would  have  to  rise  early  to  be  up  before 
you,  and  would  have  to  sit  up  late  to  outwatch  you.  If  there  was 
anything  to  be  got  by  it,  you  are  on  the  night-shift  to  make  overtime. 
I  believe  you  are  all  agog ;  you  would  turn  night  into  day,  and  make 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  345 

Sunday  into  Saturday,  if  it  got  you  something  as  regards  this  pres- 
ent world.  Yet  making  that  admission,  that  you  are  not  stupid  and 
you  are  not  asleep,  that  you  are  keen  in  business  and  intellectual 
activity,  a  great  reader,  a  great  thinker,  earnest  in  attendance  at 
evening  classes,  and  legitimately  employing  your  time,  still,  man,  if 
you  are  not  converted,  if  you  do  not  know  Jesus  Christ,  where  in  the 
world  have  you  been  living  for  the  last  thirty  years?  You  are  a 
poor  Rip  Van  Winkle ;  I  tell  you  to  your  face.  You  remember  the 
story  of  the  man  who  went  to  sleep,  and  when  he  awakened  up  the 
generations  had  meanwhile  passed  away.  He  came  to  the  village 
and  noticed  how  everything  round  him  was  mildewed  and  rusty,  and 
nobody  knew  him.  The  only  place  where  he  felt  familiar  was  in  the 
graveyard,  where  the  names  of  the  headstones  were  the  names  of  the 
people  he  had  known  before  he  fell  on  his  sleep.  Now  every  un- 
converted man  will,  after  his  awakening  up,  admit  that  he  was 
sound  asleep,  and  that  the  realities  of  life  had  never  dawned  upon 
him.     Thus  the  text  holds  true :  "Awake  thou  that  sleepest." 

If  you  have  not  wakened  up  to  a  knowledge  of  sin,  a  painful 
knowledge  of  sin,  as  a  plague  and  a  disease  that  has  fastened  on 
your  vitals  which  you  cannot  shake  off ;  if  you  have  not  wakened  up 
to  a  knowledge  of  God,  and  of  the  judgment,  of  heaven  and  of  hell, 
where  are  you  but  sleeping — soundly  sleeping?  The  awful  realities 
of  existence  are  all  round  about  you,  but  are  unheard  and  unappre- 
ciated. Suffer  my  blunt  speech.  If  you  want  to  rouse  a  man,  you 
have  got  to  rouse  him ;  you  will  never  rouse  a  heavy  sleeper,  like 
some  of  you,  by  standing  up  and  washing  your  hands  in  invisible 
soap  and  water,  and  whispering  polite  nothings.  You  will  never 
arouse  me,  and  I  am  not  an  extraordinary  sleeper;  though  I  can  do 
a  good  sleep — you  will  never  arouse  me  by  coming  to  my  bedside  to- 
morrow morning,  and  by  whispering  scarcely  above  your  breath,  by 
putting  on  your  sweetest  manner  and  saying,  "Sir,  Sir,  I  would  not 
disturb  you  for  the  world,  but  it  is  nearly  twelve  o'clock."  I  will 
stand  that,  or  rather  I  will  lie  that;  I  will  keep  sound  and  stiff.  If 
you  want  to  be  my  friend,  you  had  better  come,  especially  if  there  is 
anything  worth  wakening  me  for,  and  grip  me,  shake  me,  and  tell 
me  there  is  a  letter  come  giving  me  a  fortune,  or  tell  me  that  the 
house  is  on  fire,  and  I  will  show  you  a  jump.  Make  it  worth  my 
while  to  waken,  and  I  will  wake.  Well,  it  is  the  same  thing  with  the 
preacher.  I  am  not  here  to  say  hard  things  about  your  natural 
condition  simply  for  the  sake  of  saying  them,  or  simply  to  show 
that  I  have  the  best  of  the  argument  according  to  the  Bible,  or  that  I 
have  the  whip  by  the  handle  and  will  make  you  feel  the  supple  end 
of  it.  It  is  not  for  that ;  it  is  not  to  turn  the  contention  against  you, 
and  to  pain  you,  and  to  flatten  you,  that  I  may  crow  over  you.  I 
am  speaking  in  the  rousing  way  I  am  doing  because  I  am  right.  But 
more  than  that :  because  it  is  high  time  you  were  out  of  sleep ;  and 


346  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

if  you  are  only  wakened  up,  you  will  admit  all  I  am  saying.  I  will 
go  bail  for  it,  that  you  come  to  me  to-morrc"  night,  if  you  take 
Christ  to-night,  and  you  would  say,  "Preacher,  you  were  right;  my 
past  unconverted  life  was  just  as  good  as  a  sleep,  a  dream — unreal." 

The  day  I  awoke  from  indifference  and  formality,  the  sounds  of 
eternity  came  rushing  like  a  cold,  sharp  east  wind  into  my  ears.  I 
remember  the  day  I  woke;  and  the  next  day  when  I  got  the  light. 
I  remember  those  two  days.  Now  "Awake  thou  that  sleepest." 
Wake  up ;  believe  these  things ;  sit  back  and  listen.  Say  to  your- 
selves, "Well,  well,  it  is  true  at  any  rate."  Say  to  yourselves,  "I 
would  need  to  contradict  the  Bible,  and  a  multitude  of  honest  people, 
to  make  myself  right  and  them  wrong."  You  can't  do  it.  Say  to 
yourself,  "Suppose  it  is  true,  what  then  ?"  Well,  then,  the  next  thing 
is  wake  up,  get  up,  listen,  be  interested,  be  concerned.  You  can  be 
interested,  you  can  be  concerned. 

II.    The  sinner  addressed. 

Let  me  come  to  you  and  be  the  means  of  wakening  you  to  concern 
about  conversion,  about  your  own  personal  interest  in  Christ,  to 
personal  concern  about  the  things  which  await  you  in  eternity,  which 
is  always  coming  nearer.  Believe  in  eternity,  believe  in  God,  believe 
in  Christ ;  take  the  Bible  view  of  things  in  regard  to  yourself  and  in 
regard  to  sin,  and  the  Saviour,  and  eternity,  and  the  blessings  which 
come  through  faith  in  him.  "Awake  thou  that  sleepest;"  to  reality, 
to  consciousness,  to  some  dim  understanding,  at  least,  of  existence, 
as  represented  by  the  eternal  Word  of  the  eternal  God.  "Awake 
thou  that  sleepest,"  and  thank  God  that  the  message  is  so  plain — a 
trumpet  call,  something  rolling,  resounding,  and  no  mistake  about  it. 
It  is  no  world  for  sleeping  in,  this.  Ah!  my  careless  friend,  or  my 
busy  friend,  busy  or  careless  with  the  things  of  time,  but  asleep  as 
to  the  things  of  eternity,  this  is  no  world  for  sleeping  in.  There  may 
be  circumstances  where  sleep  is  appropriate,  but  that  sleep  of  your 
soul  is  awfully  inappropriate  just  now.  When  you  know  Christ,  and 
have  come  to  Christ,  lie  down  in  him  and  take  a  grand  sleep ;  and  as 
to  all  your  affairs  and  all  your  interest,  let  them  go  to  sleep.  When 
you  have  come  to  Christ,  rest  in  him  all  your  length,  all  your  weight, 
all  your  destiny.  Rest  in  him  as  a  tired  laboring  man  rests  at  the 
close  of  a  long  journey,  or  after  an  exhausting  day's  work.  Sweet 
is  the  sleep  of  the  resting  soul. 

But  oh,  outside  of  Christ,  how  dare  you  sleep? — outside  of  Christ, 
how  dare  you  rest  ?  It  is  no  world  for  sleeping  in,  poor  sinner.  Do 
you  know  where  I  once  caught  a  man  sleeping?  I  once  caught  a 
man  lying  asleep — a  drunken  sleep — between  the  four-foot,  as  it  is 
called,  of  the  railway,  and  the  midnight  express  coming  thundering 
down  the  bank.  Such  is  thy  state,  O  unconverted  soul.  Thou  art 
asleep  between  the  rails,  and  God's  judgment  express  is  coming 
down,  and  is  almost  on  top  of  you.    I  say  again,  it  is  no  world  for 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  347 

a  sinner  to  go  to  sleep  in.  And  as  that  express  sounds  forth  its 
signals  and  sends  news  in  advance  of  it,  so  God,  who  is  coming  to 
judge  the  world  in  mercy,  is  sending  a  sound  before  him.  Awake 
and  listen,  and  you  will  hear  the  far-off  sound  of  that  judgment 
which  is  coming.  Get  upon  your  feet,  and  get  into  the  six-foot. 
Even  that  will  nof  save  you.  Get  out  from  between  the  rails  alto- 
gether; get  out,  shift  your  body,  get  yourself  clear.  I  wakened  that 
man,  didn't  I?  How  could  I  pass  him?  And  didn't  I  wake  him 
rather  roughly?  Would  I  have  been  a  fool  if  I  had  sat  down  and 
said  polite  things  to  him  ?  Was  I  not  his  best  friend  when  I  gripped 
him  and  held  him,  and,  half  asleep  and  half  awake,  got  him  into 
safety?  And  am  I  not  your  friend  to  stand  in  the  face  of  you  to- 
night and  tell  you  the  truth?  Oh,  man,  awake.  "Awake  thou  that 
sleepest,  and  arise  from  the  dead." 

First  of  all,  awake  thou  that  sleepest.  But  then  in  this  wonder- 
ful little  text  of  mine  there  is  another  trumpet  blast — two  trumpet 
calls  in  one  text :  not  many  texts  like  that !  "Awake  thou  that  sleep- 
est, and" — and  what?  "And  arise  from  the  dead."  What  does  that 
mean?  Oh,  I  think  there  is  a  beautiful  sequence  in  these  two  trum- 
pet calls,  in  these  two  evangelical  cries  out  from  the  preacher's  heart, 
and  out  from  God's  heart,  and  out  from  the  Holy  Ghost's  heart. 
First  of  all  "awake";  that's  the  first  thing.  Then  the  second  thing 
is,  of  course,  "get  up,  arise  from  the  dead,"  for  every  man  who 
awakens  is  not  a  man  who  is  up,  is  he  ?  Oh,  no,  no,  no !  We  are 
illustrating  this  every  morning.  Some  of  us  make  a  big  difference 
between  awakening  and  getting  up.  It  is  not  so  hard  to  awaken 
some  of  you,  but  oh,  it  is  a  job  to  get  you  over  on  to  your  feet! 
You  will  awaken,  and  you  will  get  on  your  elbow,  and  you  will 
crack  away  with  anybody  for  an  hour  like  a  pop-gun ;  you  will,  talk 
and  talk,  and  drink  a  cup  of  coffee  in  your  bed — oh,  how  you  like  it ! 
— yes,  anything  to  postpone  the  actual  having  to  get  up,  and  put  on 
your  clothes,  and  go  back  again  to  the  old  treadmill  of  the  world's 
work.  And  if  it  were  not  for  the  spur  that  you  have  to  go,  some  of 
you  don't  know  when  you  would  go.  Oh,  some  of  us  don't  know 
how  lazy  we  can  be,  for  we  have  never  been  tried.  If  you  had  been 
the  eldest  son  of  a  duke,  you  might  have  been  just  as  much  a  lie-a- 
bed and  a  trifler  as  those  swells  whom  you  always  denounce,  that 
don't  need  to  get  up  in  the  morning.  Well,  maybe,  you  are  more  like 
them  than  you  think.  You  don't  need  to  get  up  every  Sunday 
morning.     Are  you  over-smart  then?     No,  verily. 

We  will  not  go  much  farther  on  that  line,  but  allow  me  to  insist 
on  this :  it  is  one  thing  to  be  wakened  up,  and  another  thing  to  get 
up.  How  many  things  come  in  between  these!  And,  spiritually, 
how  true  that  is !  I  believe  it  has  been  illustrated  every  night  at 
these  meetings,  and  will  be  illustrated  at  every  evangelical  meeting 
in  this  city.    If  we  are  preaching  the  Word  of  God,  we  will  have 


348  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

people  interested,  and  they  will  sit  back  and  say,  "That  is  true,  that 
is  straight,  this  is  plain ;  now  that's  the  kind  of  preaching  that  doesn't 
fly  over  a  fellow's  head."  You  admit  that  this  is  true,  you  are 
awakened ;  but  alas,  alas !  that's  all.  You  don't  rise,  you  don't  get 
up,  you  don't  come  to  Christ.  You  sit  there  and  talk  back ;  you  are 
only  awake.  You  know  there  is  one  thing  which*  keeps  people  from 
getting  up ;  sometimes  it  keeps  me.  I  awake  sometimes,  I  don't 
know  whether  it  is  the  same  with  you  ?  I  take  these  homely  illus- 
trations that  cause  a  smile  because  they  are  true.  And  I  hope  there 
is  a  smile  on  your  heart  of  intelligent  appreciation.  Now,  I  have 
wakened  and  not  got  up ;  this  was  the  fatal  thing :  I  fell  over  again, 
and  dreamed  that  I  was  up.  Haven't  you  don't  that?  I  dreamed 
that  I  was  up  and  dressed,  and  then  afterwards  woke  with  a  start 
and  an  awful  disappointment,  to  find  that  it  was  all  to  do  yet.  I'm 
afraid  there  are  a  lot  of  people  that  way  in  religion.  They  only 
think. 

Now,  my  friends — I  speak  with  all  tender  and  affectionate  solici- 
tude— I  stand  in  doubt  of  you ;  if  I  could  but  get  nearer  to  you,  to 
look  into  the  very  eyes  of  your  soul,  and  to  shake  you,  and  say, 
"Now,  John,  you're  not  up  yet,  you  are  still  lying  on  the  bed  of 
self-pleasing  and  worldliness  and  indulgence ;  your  tongue  is  awake, 
but  you  are  talking  in  your  sleep,  you  are  not  up  yet,  you  are  not  in 
the  daylight  of  eternity  yet — no,  not  yet — but  you  may  be  this  min- 
ute while  I  speak.  Come,  wake,  man;  arise,  take  the  step  forward 
and  outward  away  from  sleep,  away  from  your  past,  away  from 
every  consideration  that  would  keep  you  down,  and  step  out  and 
get  clear  of  the  bed,  and  be  able  to  say,  "I  am  up,  bless  God,  I'm  up, 
I  know  that  I'm  up,  and  I  know  that  I  have  left  my  bed  by  the  very 
shivers  that  are  going  through  me  in  the  cold."  Ah,  yes !  you  will 
hear  a  great  many  people  talking  about  the  joy  of  conversion.  Well, 
that's  true ;  but  there  is  often  before  the  joy,  a  wee  while,  as  they 
say  in  Scotland,  a  little  time  of  a  kind  of  mortal  shivering,  when  a 
man  wakens  up  to  the  realities  before  him.  Ah !  it  is  cold,  it  is  an 
unfamiliar  state,  and  you  are  awfully  prone  to  go  back,  saying,  "I'll 
take  another  forty  winks."  Now,  don't;  oh,  don't!  it's  an  awful 
thing.  You'll  go  back,  and  you  will  oversleep  yourself  almost  as 
sure  as  sure  can  be.  You  will;  you  know  it  in  the  affairs  of  this 
world.  You  have  got  to  distrust  yourself  there.  You  know  that  if 
you  turn  over  after  waking  and  take  another  forty  winks  in  the 
morning  you  are  too  late,  and  you  go  shivering  and  shambling  and 
ashamed  to  the  gate  of  your  workshop — late,  and  the  foreman  meets 
you  and  says,  "Look  here,  if  you  can't  come  in  the  morning  when 
the  men's  work  begins,  you  can  stay  away  all  day;  we  don't  need 
you."  I  have  known  men  to  whom  that  has  happened,  and  it  cured 
them  of  their  heavy-headedness  and  their  trifling.  And,  oh,  my 
friend,  I  know  that  while  I  am  speaking  concerning  the  bed  on 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  349 

which  you  are  lying,  the  devil  is  making  it  appear  to  you  never  so 
easy,  soft,  and  delicious  as  now  that  I  want  you  to  arise. 

The  life  of  unbelief  and  worldliness,  and  of  taking  the  day  as  it 
comes — the  devil  is  whispering  how  sweet  it  is,  how  pleasant!  But 
to  come  to  Christ  is  to  come  under  obligations;  he  is  telling  you 
that  to  come  to  Christ  is  to  come  to  a  new  Master  who  is  hard,  and 
whom  there  is  no  pleasing ;  and  as  to  wages,  nobody  ever  saw  them. 
The  devil  says,  "You  know  I  pay  you  cash  down."  He  is  a  liar; 
he  does  not.  But  he  will  dare  to  say  it  all  the  same.  "I  make  my 
service  one  of  ready  money;  I  give  you  pleasure  and  all  that  you 
want  right  off."  "No,  you  don't;  you  tickle  and  trick  and  cheat  us 
to  our  very  faces."  No,  no,  no !  come  away  to  Christ ;  don't  yield  to 
the  whispering  seductions  of  the  devil  and  the  flesh.  "Awake,  arise 
from  the  dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light."  Spring  to  your  feet 
like  a  man ;  it  is  high  time — it  is  almost  past  time.  "What  meanest 
thou,  O  sleeper?    Arise  and  call  upon  thy  God." 

And,  then,  to  help  you  to  arise,  do  you  notice  what  the  text  says  ? 
"Arise  from  the  dead."  Oh,  what  does  that  mean  and  what  is  that 
intended  for?  Well  that  is  the  counter-blast  to  those  seductions 
that  are  trying  to  grip  you  in  their  soft  embraces  while  I  am  trying 
to  arouse  you.  There  is  the  truth,  too,  to  describe  what  is  round 
about  you  and  the  state  you  are  in.  Who  would  sleep  in  a  grave- 
yard? Who  would  live  among  bones  and  decay?  And  that  is 
where  you  are  living,  unconverted  sinner.  "Arise  from  the  dead." 
That  is  to  help  you  to  make  a  jump ;  for  you  will  be  like  them  if 
you  stay  with  them  much  longer,  utterly  dead,  no  more  impressed 
at  all  with  the  rousing  call  of  the  Gospel;  and  the  very  Spirit  of 
God  himself  may  say  at  last,  "Sleep  on,  sleep  on.  Ephraim  is  joined 
to  his  idols,  let  him  alone."  "You  have  made  your  bed,  now  lie 
upon  it."  That  hour,  that  awful  moment  may  come;  for  God's  sake 
and  thine  own,  be  wise  this  minute ;  there  is  a  time  when  God's 
Spirit  ceases  to  strive  with  men  who  say,  "A  little  more  sleep,  and  a 
little  more  slumber,  and  a  little  more  folding  of  the  hands."  If  you 
love  it,  sleep  on. 

"There  is  a  time,  I  know  not  when, 
A  point,  I  know  not  where, 
That  marks  the  destiny  of  men 
For  glory  or  despair." 

"Awake  thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from  the  dead."  Don't  live 
among  the  dying  and  the  dead  and  the  rotting.  Live!  Oh,  come, 
arise ! 

III.  What  next?  See  the  beautiful  sequence  of  the  text:  first 
of  all  to  awaken  you,  then  to  get  you  up,  and  then  "Christ  shall  give 
thee  light."    It  is  just  as  though  I  came  in  in  the  morning  when  all 


350  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

is  dark;  I  waken  you  and  shake  you,  for  two  things  compel  me:  I 
have  a  great  offer  to  make  to  you,  and  I  have  an  awful  danger  to 
warn  you  from.  That  is  why  I  am  so  urgent,  and  that  is  why  I 
am  shaking  you  by  the  shoulder.  A  great  offer  for  you,  "Christ 
shall  give  thee  light;"  and  the  great  danger  to  warn  you  from,  the 
awful  death,  the  awful  danger  of  passing  away  in  your  sleep,  as  we 
read  of  people  doing  every  day  in  the  newspapers,  passing  away  in 
their  sleep.  God  save  us!  There  may  be  numbers  of  people  who 
spiritually  pass  away  in  their  sleep,  and  have  never  awoke.  They 
never  gave  to  minister  or  missionary  one  single  solitary  sign  that 
ever  they  awoke  to  the  realities  of  sin  and  salvation — never  one. 
They  passed  away  in  their  sleep ;  they  died  as  they  lived !  Now, 
"Christ  shall  give  thee  light."  It  is  like  this.  When  a  man  wakens 
under  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  the  eternal  verities  of  God's 
Word  and  truth,  and  springs  up  into  activity,  he  usually  finds  that 
he  wakens  up  to  darkness  and  perplexity,  and  often  in  more  or  less 
of  alarm,  with  fright  upon  his  spirit.  "Oh,  oh  !  What  is  it  ?  Where 
am  I  now?"  Why,  the  other  night  in  Oakley  Square  I  woke  after 
midnight,  and  I  heard  pouring  through  the  Square  the  rush  of  feet 
and  the  sound  of  voices.  I  sprang  out  of  bed  and  went  to  the 
window,  and  there,  just  outside  of  the  window,  I  saw  the  whole 
sky  blazing  with  the  reflected  flame  of  a  great  fire,  and  people  rush- 
ing from  all  parts — for  there  are  Londoners  who  never  seem  to  go 
to  bed.  Let  a  fire  blaze  up  at  any  time,  and  you  will  have  a  crowd 
of  dressed  men  and  women  pouring  to  that  sight.  Well,  ofttimes 
when  a  sinner  first  awakes,  he  awakes  with  the  red,  lurid  glare  com- 
ing in  at  his  window;  he  awakens  up — to  put  it  in  Old  Testament 
fashion — with  Sinai  gleaming  in  upon  his  soul.  That  sight,  "that 
blackness  and  darkness,  and  voice  of  the  trumpet,  and  sound  of 
words,"  that  lightning  and  thunder,  and  there  is  no  peace  and  no 
rest.  A  man  is  not  comfortable  when  he  wakens;  he  wakens  with 
his  face  to  Sinai,  and  there  sweep  through  his  soul  these  considera- 
tions :  "God  is  holy,  God  is  my  Lawgiver ;  I  have  broken  his  laws. 
I  was  made  by  him,  and  am  accountable  to  him,  and  my  life  has 
been  a  transgression,  a  trampling  under  foot  of  his  commands,  and 
of  his  grace  and  mercy."  And  nothing  about  him  seems  to  give 
peace.  It  is  like  the  glare  of  the  midnight  fire.  If  I  waken  up  and 
discover  that  there  is  a  fire,  and  that  the  fire  is  not  in  the  next  street, 
that  it  is  not  in  the  next  house,  but  that  it  has  fastened  upon  my  own 
house,  it  keeps  me  from  going  back  to  bed  and  to  sleep.  I  begin  to 
make  shift,  to  get  out  of  the  house;  I  am  glad  to  hear  then  about 
escapes,  fire-engines,  and  ladders,  and  all  that  kind  of  thing.  So 
when  a  sinner  wakens  up  to  know  God,  and  the  holiness  of  God,  and 
the  law,  with  its  curse,  to  the  thought  of  meeting  with  God,  his 
peace  vanishes  as  a  dream  when  one  waketh.  He  is  awakened,  and 
he  is  up,  and  now  what  is  he  to  do?    Now,  my  friend,  if  you  are 


TEN  GREAT  REVIVAL  SERMONS  351 

awakened,  I  don't  say  that  you  are  to  put  yourself  in  a  state  of 
terror.  Every  one  is  not  alarmed  by  a  fire.  Some,  when  a  fire  is  in 
their  house  are  wonderfully  cool,  others  are  wonderfully  excited; 
but  all  are  making  their  way  out.  Now,  whether  cool  or  not,  you 
are  wanting  peace,  you  are  wanting  rest,  you  are  wanting  salvation. 
You  have  wakened  up  to  know  that  there  is  nothing  around  you  but 
condemnation  and  destruction.  Steady  your  nerve  a  minute,  it  is  a 
critical  state;  you  may  take  a  wrong  step  now;  and  as  you  have 
obeyed  the  rest  of  the  text,  will  you  obey  this :  "Christ  shall  give 
thee  light"?  Stand  just  where  you  are  now,  don't  take  a  step,  wait 
a  minute,  wait  for  the  firemen.  The  escape  is  already  reared  against 
the  window,  and  the  brave  fellows  are  coming  up;  don't  rush  in  a 
panic,  don't  go  helter-skelter  here  and  there,  for  there  is  blinding 
smoke,  and  there  is  confusion,  with  the  possibility  of  your  taking  a 
wrong  turning  and  doing  something  in  a  panic  that  you  may  never 
undo.  Wait.  Whenever  a  soul  is  awakened  and  aroused,  then  the 
Bible,  that  has  been  talking  in  thunder  tones  to  you  all  along,  sud- 
denly changes  and  brings  in  a  new  word,  a  new  name  that  I  never 
mentioned  before,  "Christ  shall  give  thee  light." 

First  of  all,  you  are  sleeping  in  the  midst  of  your  danger  and  dis- 
tress ;  then,  when  you  are  awakened  to  it  all,  "Christ  shall  give  thee 
light."  Do  you  ask,  "Where  is  he?"  He  is  beside  you,  he  has  come 
in ;  he  is  the  brave  fireman ;  he  has  come  into  your  burning  building, 
and  has  wanted  to  fill  his  arms  with  you.  Will  you  let  him?  It  is 
like  this.  In  Edinburgh,  one  night  a  fire  broke  out — a  raging,  de- 
stroying, desolating  fire.  Some  friends  of  mine  lived  in  one  of  the 
"flats,"  as  they  are  called.  The  people  heard  the  noise,  they  heard 
the  crackling,  they  heard  the  shouts,  and  they  awakened  the  sleepers. 
They  arose,  though,  alas,  alas !  they  afterwards  went  wrong.  They 
arose,  they  gathered  themselves  together,  they  came  downstairs  till 
they  came  to  the  passage,  the  entry,  the  "close,"  as  they  call  it  there, 
that  leads  out  into  the  street.  They  were  almost  safe,  but  in  that 
entry  leading  to  the  street  they  were  met  by  a  blinding  rush  of  smoke, 
and,  in  the  terror  and  alarm  of  the  moment,  instead  of  going  straight 
out  through  the  smoke,  they  turned  into  a  door  that  was  standing 
deceitfully  open,  a  door  into  a  chamber,  and  before  they  could  re- 
cover from  their  mistake  they  were  suffocated ;  they  perished  in  the 
smoke. 

What  would  have  saved  my  friends?  This,  if  in  that  moment  of 
panic  and  terror  and  confusion,  by  fire  on  the  one  hand  and  smoke 
on  the  other,  and  danger  all  round  about,  if  there  could  have  pierced 
through  the  blinding  smoke,  only  one  clear  ray  of  God's  daylight 
from  the  outside,  it  would  have  met  their  eyes,  it  would  have  guided 
them  out  into  the  street,  and  to  safety  and  peace.  For  want  of 
light,  they  perished  in  the  smoke  and  darkness.  So  need  perish 
none  who  come  to  Christ.    What  my  friends  did  not  get,  and  for 


352  THE  EVANGELISTIC  CYCLOPEDIA 

lack  of  which  they  were  lost,  is  what  you  do  get  when  you  come  to 
Christ.  He  is  thy  Light.  Oh,  awaken !  Oh,  trembling,  oh,  anxious 
soul,  look  to  Jesus!  and  the  more  you  turn  away  your  eyes  from 
Sinai  to  another  hill,  the  moment  you  turn  your  eyes  to  Calvary, 
you  will  get  peace.  Look  to  him,  the  Light  on  the  cross.  He  is 
the  Light  that  calms  my  fears,  that  delivers  me  from  all  my  guilt  and 
condemnation.  Christ  shall  give  thee  light,  light,  light !  Light  to 
see  by,  light  to  walk  by,  light  for  all  your  path  along  the  road ;  and 
light,  you  know,  means  everything  here.  Darkness  means  all  that 
is  fearful  and  gloomy  and  paralyzing;  light  means  everything  that 
is  helpful  and  hopeful,  and  liberating  and  enriching.  Come  to 
Christ,  and  he  shall  give  thee  light ;  oh,  come,  trust  him ;  that  is  to 
say,  let  in  the  light  of  peace  and  pardon  that  streams  from  the  cruci- 
fied and  gloried  Saviour.  Let  him  shine  on  you,  and  let  him  shine  in 
you.  Faith  in  him  is  the  opening  of  the  eyes  to  let  in  the  saving 
light — the  calming,  the  cheering,  the  guiding  light.  "I  heard,"  says 
Dr.  Horatius  Bonar,  the  sweet  singer  of  Israel, 

"I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say, 

'I  am  this  dark  world's  light; 
Look  unto  me,  thy  morn  shall  rise 

And  all  thy  day  be  bright.' 
I  looked  to  Jesus,  and  I  found 

In  him  my  star,  my  sun, 
And  in  that  light  of  life  I'll  walk 

Till  travelling  days  are  done."    Amen. 


THE  END 


Date  Due 


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